11th Annual South Asian International Film Festival's top honor goes to TITLI

TITLI, directed by Kanu Behl

The South Asian International Film Festival, presented by HBO, recently announced the winners of its 2014 Gala Awards, held November 23rd at Manhattan’s Carlton Hotel.

Kanu Behl's TITLI took home the festival’s Grand Jury Prize for Best Feature, presented to it by jurors Richard Lorber, Bill Straus, David Wilentz, Isil Bagdadi, and Kelly Edwards. The tale of a young man desperate to escape a brotherhood of carjackers stunned both jurors and audiences at SAIFF. The Jury's highly-acclaimed Runner-Up was Berlin and Mumbai Film Festival selection KILLA.

“KILLA is beautifully cast, right down to the teacher who lords over the children in the classroom. It's a gem of a film," says the South Asian International Film Festival's new Executive Director Joya Dass.

The Best Director Award was presented to first-time writer/director Afia Nathaniel for her film DUKHTAR. The tense drama, Pakistan's official entry to the 2014 Academy Awards, was also presented with the festival's Audience Award.

“From a festival attendance standpoint, Afia Nathaniel's DUKHTAR was the clear winner." says Dass. "We had a sold out house and a roaring response to her directorial debut.”

The jury awarded their Short Grand Jury Prize to Gitanjali Rao's TRUE LOVE STORY, a a stunning animated short about a 17-year-old orphan who uses his love of Bollywood cinema to help him woo the girl of his dreams.

The Audience Award for Short Film was awarded to VEIL from director Sreemoyee Bhattacharya.

The lavish awards ceremony took place at Manhattan’s Carlton Hotel on November 23rd, celebrating SAIFF’s eleventh anniversary. Following the awards ceremony and private dinner, guests and press were treated to a set from recording artist Ashni Davé.

SAIFF 2014 WINNERS:
Grand Jury Winner, Best Feature: TITLI
Grand Jury Runner-Up, Feature: KILLA
Best Director: Afia Nathaniel for DUKHTAR
Grand Jury Winner, Best Short Film: TRUE LOVE STORY
Audience Award, Best Feature: DUKHTAR
Audience Award, Best Short Film: VEIL

The Eleventh Annual South Asian International Film Festival ran from Tuesday, November 18th, 2014 through Sunday, November 23rd, 2014 in New York City, at The SVA Theater and AMC.

For additional information on SAIFF 2014, visit www.saiff.org.

11th Annual South Asian International Film Festival runs Nov 18-23 in NYC

The Eleventh Annual

South Asian International Film Festival

Announces 2014 Film Line-up

Opening Night to feature US Premiere of Jean-François Pouliot’s box office

smash DR. CABBIE; Closing Night celebrates the World Premiere of X

Additional films include Centerpiece World Premiere of HAPPY ENDING,

Cannes Un Certain Regard selection TITLI, Berlin Film Festival winner

KILLA, and Pakistan’s 2014 Oscar submission DUKHTAR

The South Asian International Film Festival, presented by HBO, celebrates its eleventh amazing year by delivering even more of the very best in South Asia's most original, daring, and exciting cinema! Running from November 18th through the 23rd, SAIFF 2014 features new thrilling premieres, acclaimed international guests, and the hotly-anticipated Festival Awards Gala – overseen by its new Executive Director, Joya Dass. A television personality, Dass has worked for Bloomberg, CNN, ABC, CBS, and can currently be seen anchoring business news for NY1.

On the 18th of November, SAIFF 2014 celebrates its Opening Night with the US premiere of DR. CABBIE, the stand-up-and-cheer blockbuster starring The Big Bang Theory’s Kunal Navvar! Midway through the fest, SAIFF invites you experience their celebrated 2014 Centerpiece title, the World Premiere of Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K.’s uplifting romantic comedy HAPPY ENDING. And on Closing Night, the festival throws open their doors for the thrilling World Premiere of X – a ten-part intertwining story from eleven of India’s most exciting directors… all of whom will be attending the festival!

SAIFF 2014's feature film lineup includes:

Dukhtar. Directed by Afia Serena Nathaniel. 2014. Pakistan/USA/Norway. In Urdu and Pashto (with English subtitles). New York Premiere. 93 min.

Ek Hazarachi Note. Directed by Shekhar Sathe. 2014. India. In Marathi (with English subtitles). New York Premiere. 89 min.

Killa. Directed by Avinash Arun Dhaware. 2014. India. In Marathi (with English subtitles). North American Premiere. 110 min.

Labour of Love. Directed by Aditya Vikram Sengupta. 2014. India. In Bengali (with English subtitles). New York Premiere. 93 min.

Titli. Directed by Kanu Behl. 2014. India. In Hindi (with English subtitles). New York Premiere. 127 min.

Opening Night Premiere: DR. CABBIE

Directed by Jean-François Pouliot

2014, Canada/India, 101 minutes

In English

US Premiere

An unemployed doctor turned cab driver becomes a local hero when he converts his taxi into a mobile clinic. DR. CABBIE is the heartwarming journey of a young Indian doctor who immigrates to Canada with the selfless ambition of healing others while beginning a new life in the land of opportunity. Dr. Cabbie discovers his true purpose and true love when he embarks upon this journey of a doctor turned cabbie.

Centerpiece World Premiere: HAPPY ENDING

Directed by Raj Nidimoru and Krishna D.K..

2014, India, 135 minutes

 In Hindi (with English subtitles)

World Premiere

Yudi is a writer who hasn’t written anything in the last few years because he’s caught between finding inspiration and finding love. Armaan is a fading movie star is desperate to save his stardom. He went to Hollywood to get a Bollywood script written in the Hollywood style. His solution? Approach Yudi and ask him to write a film. Meanwhile, his ex-girlfriend thinks that she’s still in a relationship with him after they’ve broken up!

Closing Night World Premiere: X

Directed by Abhinav Shiv Tiwari, Anu Menon, Hemant Gaba,

Nalan Kumarasamy, Pratim D. Gupta, Q, Raja Sen, Rajshree Ojha,

Sandeep Mohan, Sudhish Kamath, and Supran Verma

2014, India, 112 minutes

In Hindi (with English subtitles)

World Premiere

X is a filmmaker’s journey through his past encounters with his 10 ex-girlfriends as he spends one surreal unforgettable night at a film festival after he meets a mysterious girl who intriguingly seems to have something to do with every woman in his life.

The Eleventh Annual South Asian International Film Festival runs from Tuesday, November 18th, 2014 to Sunday, November 23rd, 2014 in New York City, at the SVA Theater.

For additional information on SAIFF 2014, including screening dates, locations, featured guests, and ticketing information, visit www.saiff.org.

ACF 2039: MONSOON SHOOTOUT - a 2013 SAIFF film review

All photos courtesy of Yaffle Films, Sikhya Entertainment Pvt Ltd

Monsoon Shootout

Written and Directed by Amit Kumar

India, 2013, 88 minutes

When: Tuesday, December 3rd, 2013 at 7:30 PM

Where: SVA Theatre, 333 West 23rd Street, NYC

(between 8th and 9th Avenues)

New York Premiere

 In Hindi (with English subtitles)
Buy tickets here

A hit at Cannes and Fantastic Fest, Monsoon Shootout is an exciting police thriller that will open The 10th Annual South Asian International Film Festival tomorrow evening in NYC. The festival will run through Sunday, December 8, 2013.

Adi Kulshreshta (actor Vijay Varma) is a new sub-inspector in Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay) who is starting his Field Trials in the Crime Branch. In other words, he's a rookie cop going out on his first real assignment. Before leaving for work, his mother reminds him of the three paths in life: the right path, the wrong pah, and the middle path.

Adi Kulshreshta (Vijay Varma) in action in the monsoon rains

Adi is teamed with Inspector Khan (Neeraj Kabi), a veteran cop who'll use any means -- including the extra-legal -- to get the job done. Sometimes assisted by Patil, a policeman who sports a mustache,  they are tasked with bringing down a boss known as the Slum Lord. Huge construction projects are underway in the midst of Mumbai's slums, and the Slum Lord is a master extortionist who has no qualms about resorting to murder if builders refuse to comply with his demands. His main henchman is known as the Axe-Killer because of his weapon of choice. He uses an axe because, unlike a gun, it makes killing intimate and personal. Axe-Killer is sometimes assisted by a man whom the police term Blind Beggar.

As the Monsoon rains fall, Khan and Adi stake out a food vendor. They've been told that Axe-Killer, whose identity is unknown, is to meet the Blind Beggar, whom they have identified. Patil is there also, working literally undercover. A man, his wife and their young boy arrive and go to the food-stand. Blind Beggar arrives on a motorcycle and goes over to the stand where the man offers him a light. Khan is convinced that the man with the lighter must be Axe-Murder, a shootout erupts and Adi runs off in pursuit of the man believed to be Axe-Killer.

Axe-Killer

Adi catches up to him at a wall and, with his gun drawn, orders him to freeze. Instead Axe-Killer leaps over the wall and escapes. This turns out to be the fulcrum point for various paths that result from what Adi does or does not do, a reflection of the three paths alluded to at the beginning of the film.

I'm not about to give away any further specific descriptions of the film because that would surely spoil it for anyone who will be seeing it at SAIFF or elsewhere. Let's just say that each of the three paths Adi takes has major consequences for him and for some of the other characters, including Anu, a female doctor who knew Adi in college, and the wife and son of the man believed to be Axe-Killer.

If you should go to IMDb for information, please, please, please don't be thrown or dissuaded by the unseemly and unwarranted approval rating of 5.8. My guess is that this low score has to do with the film not meeting many viewers preconceptions of what it would be. It does not have a straightforward, linear narrative with a simple single resolution at the end. As I've indicated, there are three paths, or branches, that the film takes from the confrontation at the wall. This allows for various interpretations as to which one of the three, if any, is actually what happened. Make your decision about whether or not to see it with that in mind.

I hope that many people choose to see Monsoon Shootout. It's a well-made, well-acted and intriguing policier that will fascinate you and no doubt provoke lively post-viewing discussions.

ACF Rating: 3.5 out of 4 stars. Very highly recommended.

About SAIFF:
The South Asian International Film Festival (SAIFF) is the largest film premiere destination for South Asian/Indian filmmakers in the United States. SAIFF was founded in New York City due to the lack of support for many emerging filmmakers and the overall underrepresentation of Indian cinema in a capital that is recognized by the world as the birthplace of independent filmmaking! The Festival is committed to exhibiting films from South Asia (i.e India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal) and within the Indian Diaspora. With a focus on dynamic, visionary cinema, SAIFF annually creates unprecedented exposure for filmmakers and unparalleled experiences for its attendees. The 10th Annual South Asian International Film Festival will take place from December 3-8, 2013.

Complete information about The 10th Annual 2013 SAIFF here. 

ACF 2019: South Asian International Film Festival in NY, December 3-8

The Tenth Annual South Asian International Film Festival
Announces 2013 Film Line-up!

Opening Night to feature NYC Premiere of Amit Kumar's MONSOON SHOOTOUT;
Closing Night celebrates India's 2013 Oscar submission,
Gyan Correa's THE GOOD ROAD

 – Featured films include Centerpiece Title GOOD MORNING, KARACHI;

I.D.; QISSA, and TASHER DESH (The Land of Cards) –

The South Asian International Film Festival, presented by HBO, celebrates its tenth amazing year by delivering even more of the very best in South Asia's most original, daring, and exciting cinema! Running from December 3rd through the 8th, SAIFF 2013 features ten thrilling premieres, acclaimed international guests, and the hotly-anticipated Festival Awards Gala!

On the third of December, SAIFF 2013 celebrates its Opening Night with the NYC premiere of MONSOON SHOOTOUT, showcasing the Cannes and Fantastic Fest hit that has film noir fans around the world cheering! Midway through the fest, SAIFF invites you experience their celebrated 2013 Centerpiece title, Pakistan's powerful, uplifting GOOD MORNING, KARACHI. And on Closing Night, the festival throws open their doors for the New York Premiere of India's acclaimed 2013 Oscar submission, THE GOOD ROAD - all with filmmakers in attendance!

SAIFF 2013's feature film lineup includes:

Anima State. Directed by Hammad Khan. 2013. U.K./Pakistan. In Urdu (with English subtitles). World Premiere. 80 min.
Ankhon Dekhi. Directed by Rajat Kapoor. 2013. India. In Hindi (with English subtitles). World Premiere. 108 min.
First Sight. Directed by Joya Dass. 2013. U.S./India. In Tamil (with English subtitles). World Premiere. 50 min.
I.D.. Directed by Kamal KM. 2012. India. In Hindi (with English subtitles). New York Premiere. 90 min.
Qissa. Directed by Anup Singh. 2013. Germany/India/Netherlands/France. In Punjabi (with English subtitles). U.S. Premiere. 109 min.
Siddarth. Directed by Richie Mehta. 2013. Canada/India. In Hindi (with English subtitles). U.S. Premiere. 96 min.
Tasher Desh. Directed by Q. 2012. India/Belgium. In Bengali (with English subtitles). New York Premiere. 118 min.

Opening Night Premiere: MONSOON SHOOTOUT
Directed by Amit Kumar. 2013. U.K./India. In Hindi (with English subtitles). New York Premiere. 88 min.
Tuesday, December 3rd, 7:30PM - SVA Theater (333 West 23rd Street)

This acclaimed Cannes and Fantastic Fest hit explores the impact that one’s choices make on the lives of others. As heavy monsoon rains lash the badlands of Mumbai, Adi, a rookie cop out on his first assignment, faces a life altering decision when he must decide whether to shoot or not to shoot. The film presents three scenarios, all resulting from the decision that Adi makes. Each decision takes him on a journey that pits him against a system that demands a compromise on his morals. Finally, however, Adi and we come to understand that every choice has its price.

Centerpiece Premiere: GOOD MORNING, KARACHI
Directed by Sabiha Sumar. 2013. Pakistan. In English and Urdu (with English subtitles). New York Premiere. 85 min.
Friday, December 6th, 7:30PM at NYIT Auditorium (1871 Broadway)

Young Rafina is coming of age in Karachi, with chance and willfulness propelling her rise as a runway and billboard model. As she climbs the social ladder, she's caught between two men with very different visions of Pakistan - and the role of women. Arif, a partier, dreams of a better world through political action, but is molded by a traditionalism that doesn't account for her dreams. Urbane and ambitious Jamal is convinced the fashion industry can help women shed their chadors and lead Pakistan into the modern world.

Rafina’s story becomes the story of the people living in Karachi who try to reconcile the demands of tradition and the aspirations of modernity. The film weaves this contradiction not only through its characters and their turbulent lives, but through the very landscape of Karachi, where political extremism and fashion, convention and novelty can - and do - co-exist.

Closing Night Premiere: THE GOOD ROAD
Directed by Gyan Correa. 2013. India. In Gujarati (with English subtitles). New York Premiere. 92 min.
Sunday, December 8th, 7:30PM at SVA Theater (333 West 23rd Street)

State Highway 378, on the border of the Rann desert, is as beautiful as it is unsettling. Accidentally separated from his parents, 7 year-old Aditya finds himself in the care of a truck driver and his assistant, both operating just beyond the law – and being closed in on by the police. Poonam is a 9 year-old girl looking to hitch a ride to her grandmother’s home, but tired and hungry, unwittingly ends up in a desolate brothel. As the realization of where is dawns on her, she is forced to choose between staying with the new friends she’s made or finding a ride on the highway.

The characters on The Good Road meet each twist, turn, dip, and rise - in the road and their fates - with stubborn hope. Take a journey through a barren land, and into the heart of unseen India - where acts of great compassion are shown to utter strangers.

The Tenth Annual South Asian International Film Festival runs from Tuesday, December 3rd, 2013 to Sunday, December 8th, 2013 in New York City, at the SVA Theater and NYIT Auditorium.

For additional information on SAIFF 2013, including screening dates, locations, featured guests, and ticketing information, visit www.saiff.org.

ACF 1711: New closing night date set for 2012 South Asian Film Festival; Red Cross Disaster Relief to receive 50% of all proceeds

Here's some news from the South Asian International Film Festival about the rescheduled closing night screening:

The same weekend The 2012 South Asian Film Festival's Closing Night Film was scheduled to occur, New York and New Jersey were struck by a natural disaster of unimaginable proportions.

As the surrounding area picks up the pieces after Superstorm Sandy, The 2012 South Asian International Film Festival is very proud to announce that its Closing Night film, VALLEY OF THE SAINTS, will screen this Saturday, November 17th, with 50% of all proceeds going to The Red Cross Disaster Relief.

We realize just how late of notice this is, but any support you might be able to give this film and benefit would mean the world to us.

VALLEY OF THE SAINTS will screen at The SVA Theater, located at 333 West 23rd Street, this coming Saturday at 9:00PM.

Here's the full schedule of the night's events:

7:30PM to 8:30PM
 - Cocktail Reception
8:30PM to 9:00PM
 - Awards Ceremony
9:00PM to 9:15PM
 - Closing Remarks
9:15PM to 10:45PM
 - Closing Night Film - VALLEY OF THE SAINTS
10:45PM to 11:00PM
 - Q&A with director Musa Syeed
11:00PM
 - After-party and music series

Tickets for the Closing Night Film are $25.00 and can be purchased at http://www.saiff.org/2012/index.php?p=closingnight

ACF 1680: 9th Annual South Asian International Film Festival

The 9th Annual South Asian International Film Festival begins this Wednesday, October 24th, in New York and will run through Tuesday, October 30th. The festival focuses on emerging artists and showcases established filmmakers from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. Screenings will take place at three venues. Full information about this intriguing festival, which is being presented by HBO, is available here.