Attention New Yorkers! If you want to attend feature film screenings, discuss movies with their respective directors, attend red carpet gala events, rub shoulders with the who’s who of the industry and more, come out to the New York Indian Film Festival from May 4th-May 9th!
NYIFF is North America’s oldest and most premiere showcase of films and documentaries relating to the Indian subcontinent and South Asian diaspora.
The festival opens on May 4th with Margarita With A Straw and there will be a post screening discussion with Kalki Koechlin and Shonali Bose! Vishal Bhardwaj’s Shakespeare trilogy, Maqbool, Omkara, and Haider will also be shown. A Q&A session with Mr. Bhardwaj himself will follow after to discuss all three films in their Shakespearean context.
Aroon Shivdasani, the executive director of the Indo-American Arts Council, said:
NYIFF’s mission is to showcase and present both veteran and emerging filmmakers, as well as to build an awareness of South Asian films in North America. We give filmmakers a platform to tell their stories and to educate mainstream America about the realities of other cultures. To this end, we are delighted to partner with the Asian American Film Lab to give our filmmakers yet another platform to display their talent to an ever more diverse audience.
Other fantastic movies such as National Award winner Kaakaa Muttai, Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s Haraamkhor, Saari Raat, and City Lights, along with 30 independent films will also form the rich lineup over the five day festival.
The closing night film will be Sharat Katariya’s Dum Laga Ke Haisha, starring Ayushmann Khurrana and Bhumi Pednekar. Check out why we loved this film here.
I’m really looking forward to cover this festival, and you can too! Get some popcorn and buy your tickets here.