23rd Annual NEW YORK INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Suman Gollamudi
suman.gn@iaac.us

EXPLORING THE BEST OF INDIAN CINEMA:
NEW YORK INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL OFFERS A FRESH PERSPECTIVE ON CONTEMPORARY INDIAN CINEMA

Unveils Full 2023 Lineup of In-person Event Featuring 35 Narrative, Documentary and Short Films

NEW YORK, NY, April 03, 2023 – The New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF), North America’s most prestigious festival featuring cinema from the global India community has announced the full line-up for the 23rd edition which runs May 11-14 in New York City. This year’s festival lineup features 35 films that showcase the depth and range of contemporary Indian cinema, including cutting-edge dramas, documentaries, and shorts. The opening and other films will screen at Village East by Angelika, 181 2nd Ave., New York, NY 10003. The closing night film screening, followed by the awards function will be held at SVA Theatre, 333 West 23rd Street, New York, NY 10011.

“NYIFF is a must-watch event for anyone interested in Indian cinema and its growing impact on global cinema. It offers a unique opportunity to explore and appreciate the diverse cinematic voices emerging from India today, “  said Dr. Nirmal Mattoo, Chairman of the Indo-American Arts Council, the organization that presents the film festival.

“As we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander(AAPI) Heritage Month in May, the New York Indian Film Festival provides an ideal opportunity for audiences to experience the best of Indian cinema and gain a deeper understanding of the rich cultural heritage of AAPI communities and appreciate the unique perspectives that they bring to the world of cinema," said Suman Gollamudi, Executive Director.

In addition to the previously announced opening and closing films, this year’s NYIFF will also feature a special world premiere screening of a new Hindi language film Bandaa starring Manoj Bajpayee. Five filmmakers present their debut features, while the festival also includes works by Indian-British and Indian-Canadian directors. Several well-known Indian film personalities will be featured in a wide array of works, including:

• Opening Film leads Shefali Shah (DelhiCrime/Netflix), Jaideep Ahlawat (Pataal Lok/Prime Video) and Swanand Kirkire
• Closing Film leads Kalki Koechlin (Margarita with a Straw) and Deepti Naval
• Sharmila Tagore (Legendary Actress who worked in Satyajit Ray’s film, including The World of Apu), Manoj Bajpayee (Gangs of Wasseypur, Family Man, Satya, Aligarh) and Suraj Sharma (Life of Pi) in a special screening of Gulmohar. 
• Adil Hussain (Life of Pi) and Namisha Sajayan in Footprints on Water.
• Radhika Madan (Kuttey/Netflix) and Pooja Bhatt (Bombay Begums/Netflix) in Sanaa.
• Arjun Radhakrishnan in Vaat.
• Prasenjit Chatterjee in Shesh Pata.
• Anupam Kher (The Big Sick, New Amsterdam and Hotel Mumbai), Danish Husain and Zarina Wahab in a narrative short Retake.
• Rajit Kapoor in the narrative short Birha.

“We aim to truly underscore the NYIFF commitment to diversity and cultural representation in film,” said Aseem Chhabra, NYIFF Festival Director. “This year, we will feature films in ten languages spoken in India: Bengali, English, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Nagpuri, Punjabi, Tamil. All films will have English subtitles.”

“NYIFF’s mission is to provide filmmakers, actors and industry professionals a platform to showcase their work, as well as foster an environment where filmmakers exchange ideas and interact with discerning and diverse audiences, journalists and aficionados,” Chhabra added.

'The festival promises to offer a fresh perspective on Indian cinema, with many of the films tackling complex social issues with nuance and sensitivity. This year’s festival will also highlight the work of several emerging and established female filmmakers, who are pushing the boundaries of Indian cinema and redefining the role of women in the industry. I strongly encourage audiences to attend the New York Indian Film Festival, and explore the exciting and innovative cinema that is coming out of India today,” said Rakesh Kaul, IAAC Vice Chairman.

Ticket prices are $20 for regular film programs and $50 for opening and closing films. Tickets will be on sale at nyiff.us or at Eventbrite

NYIFF 2023 Promo Video:

Feature Narrative Films

1. Bandaa (Hindi), dir. Apoorv Singh Karki, 138 mins., 2023
2. Follower (Hindi, Kannada, Marathi), dir. Harshad Nalawade, 99 mins., 2022
3. Footprints on Water (English, Malayalam, Tamil, Polish), dir. Nathalia Syam, 110 mins., 2022
4. Goldfish (English),Pushsan Kriplani, 101 mins., 2022 
5. Gulmohar (Special screening)(Hindi), dir. Rahul Chittella, 132 mins., 2022
6. Mushroom (Bengali)dir. Samik Roy Choudhury, 64 mins., 2022
7. Opium (Hindi), dir. Aman Sachdeva, 75 mins., 2022
8. Pokhar ke Dunu Paar (Hindi), dir. Parth Saurabh, 104 mins., 2022
9. Sanaa (Hindi),dir. Sudhanshu Saria, 117 mins., 2022
10. Saudi Vellakka (Malayalam), dir. Tharun Moorthy, 134 mins., 2022
11. Hadinelentu (Seventeeners), dir. Prithvi Konanur, 122 mins., 2022
12. Shesh Pata (Bengali), dir. Atanu Ghosh, 120 mins., 2022
13. Siya (Hindi), dir. Manish Mundra,108 mins., 2022
14. Three of Us (Hindi), dir. Avinash Arun Dhaware, 98 mins., 2021
15. Vaat (Marathi), dr. Miransha Naik, 75 mins., 2022

Feature Documentaries

1. Call Me Dancer (Special screening) (Hindi, English), dir. Leslie Shampaine, 84 mins., 2022
2. Colonel Kalsi (English), dir. Geeta Gandbhir, Anand Kamalkar, 40 mins., 2022
3. To Kill a Tiger (Hindi, Nagpuri), dir. Nisha Pahuja, 125 mins., 2022
4. Urf (AKA) (Hindi), dir. Geetika Narag Abassi, 120 mins., 2022

Short Narratives

Shorts A (narrative) Program:

1. Retake, dir. Shweta Basu Prasad (Hindi), 28 mins., 2023
2. Running, dir. Arpita Mukherjee (English), 40 mins., 2022
3. One Small Visit, dir. Jo Chim (English), 30 mins., 2022
4. Outside Chance, dir. Michael Das (English), 11 mins., 2022
5. The Name, dir. Aaron Strand (English), 7 mins, 2022

Other narrative shorts, showing with features:

1. Birha - The Journey Back Home (showing with Vaat) (Punjabi), dir. Puneet Prakash Pandey, 25 mins., 2021
2. Chithi (showing with Mushroom) (Bengali), dir. Pubali Chaudhuri, 22 min., 2023
3. Little Wings (showing with Mushroom) (Tamil) dir. Nveen Mu, 21 mins., 2022
4. My Father’s Doctor (showing with Mushroom) (Kashmiri), dir. Danish Renzu, 18 mins., 2023
5. Preet (showing with Opium) (Hindi), dir. Jayesh Jaidka, 22 mins, 2022
6. Wagro (showing with Vaat) (Marathi), dir. Sainath Somnath Uskaikar, 10 mins., 2022

Shorts B (documentaries) Program:

1. Basti, dir. Parinaz Jal (English, Hindi, Kannada), 36 mins., 2021
2. Gopi, dir. Nishanth Gurumurthy (Kannada), 14 mins., 2022
3. Letters to My Grandma, dir. Divya Hemant Kharnare (Marathi), 26 mins., 2023
4. Raat: Night Time in Small Town India, dir. Third Eye Offline (English), 34 mins., 2022

Other short documentaries, showing with features:

• Bring it to the People (showing with Colonel Kalsi) (English), dir. Luis Palomino, 35 mins., 2022
• Kurosawa’s Grave (showing with Urf) (English) dir. Ben Lopez, 14 mins., 2021

Media Passes: Please write to press@iaac.us with name and media affiliation to request media passes for opening and closing nights. Opening night May 11 at Village East by Angelika. Media check in by 4:30PM, Red Carpet from 5:30PM. Closing night May 14, Media check in by 3:30PM, red carpet from 4:30PM.

For photos and press materials Click HERE

About The New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF):
NYIFF is the oldest, most prestigious film festival screening premieres of feature, documentary and short films made from, of, and about the Indian subcontinent in the independent, arthouse, alternate and diaspora genres. Four days of screenings, post-screening discussions, industry panels, award ceremonies, special events, after parties, red carpet galas, media attention and packed audiences build an awareness of Indian cinema, entertain and educate North Americans about the real India, and add to the amazing cultural diversity of New York City. For more information, please visit www.nyiff.us

About Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC):
The IAAC supports all the artistic disciplines in classical, fusion, folk and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India. We work cooperatively with colleagues around the U.S. to broaden our collective audiences and to create a network for shared information, resources and funding. Our focus is to help artists and art organizations in North America as well as to facilitate artists from India to exhibit, perform and produce their work here. The IAAC is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. For information, please visit www.iaac.us.

For IAAC 
Suman Gollamudi
Indo-American Arts Council
suman.gn@iaac.us 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:
Suman Gollamudi
suman.gn@iaac.us

INDIA’S BIGGEST STARS TO HEADLINE THE 2023 NEW YORK INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL

Manoj Bajpayee, Sharmila Tagore, Kalki Koechlin and Shefali Shah to make appearances at the festival which runs May 11-14.

NEW YORK, NY – March 14, 2023 – Get ready for an exciting cinematic experience as the incredibly talented and versatile Shefali Shah and Kalki Koechlin take center stage as headliners at the upcoming New York Indian Film Festival! These two dynamic actresses are renowned for their captivating performances that have earned them critical acclaim and a global fan following. New York audiences will get a chance to witness their incredible talent on the big screen at the New York Indian Film Festival where Shefali Shah stars as the lead in the opening film The Three of Us and Kalki is the lead for the closing film Goldfish.

NYIFF is North America's longest running and most prestigious Indian film festival. Running from May 11-14, 2023, the festival will screen more than 20 features, documentaries and shorts. Opening night will be held on May 11 at Village East by Angelika. Closing Night will be held on May 14 at SVA Theatre and will include the NYIFF AWARDS. Media is invited to cover the red carpet and post screening talkback on both days.

"As we celebrate the 23rd year of the New York Indian Film Festival, we are thrilled to witness the global recognition of Indian cinema with not just one, but three Indian films being acknowledged at the Oscars. This milestone highlights the incredible talent and diversity of Indian cinema, and we are honored to showcase some of the best works of Indian filmmakers to our audience. We are committed to providing a platform for independent voices and stories that captivate and resonate with audiences worldwide, and we look forward to another year of celebrating the rich culture and cinematic heritage of India.", said Suman Gollamudi, Executive Director for the Indo-American Arts Council which runs NYIFF.

“At IAAC, we value our classical arts that are rooted deeply in our civilization, and we believe in nurturing and celebrating them joyfully. Through the New York Indian Film Festival, we strive to showcase not only the latest trends in Indian cinema but also the timeless traditions that have enriched our culture for centuries.”, said Rakesh Kaul, Vice Chairman, IAAC.

“As we look ahead to the coming year, the Indo-American Arts Council remains committed to our mission of promoting Indian art and culture through a variety of initiatives and programs. We are proud to serve as a platform for artists, scholars, and practitioners to share their talents and insights with audiences across the United States and beyond. We are excited to continue expanding our reach and impact in the years to come.”, added Dr. Nirmal Mattoo, Chairman, IAAC.

“After a hiatus of three years we are thrilled to be back with a physical film festival,” said Aseem Chhabra, NYIFF Festival Director. “Once again our audience will interact with the filmmakers, discuss and celebrate new Indian cinema. The mission of NYIFF has and will always be to elevate the very best filmmakers and storytellers featuring India and its culture.”

Apart from the opening and closing films, NYIFF will also hold a special New York screening of Rahul Chittella's critically acclaimed film Gulmohar on May 12 at 6.30 PM. In attendance will be actors Sharmila Tagore and Manoj Bajpayee and director Chittella.

The rest of the NYIFF line-up will be announced in a few weeks and more details including the link to buy tickets, after parties and panel discussions will be available at nyiff.us.

OPENING FILM

The Three of Us (Hindi), dir. Avinash Arun, Feature narrative, 113 mins, 2022,

East Coast Premiere with Red Carpet from 5:30 PM, Film Screens 6:30 PM
at Village East by Angelika,
181-189 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10003

Screening will be followed by Q&A with cast and crew in attendance.

Starring Shefali Shah, Jaideep Ahlawat and Swanand Kirkire, The Three of Us narrates the story of Shailaja, a married woman who is grappling with the early symptoms of dementia, where she finds herself at the cusp of her past, present and future. She decides to go on a trip to revisit her childhood before her memories ebb away.

Shailaja embarks on a confrontational journey that makes her deal with questions related to a traumatic event in her childhood, the mundanity of her marriage and the complexity of her future. As Shailaja travels through the sprawling coastline of Konkan with her husband and childhood-love by her side, we see her inching closer towards the forgiveness and liberations she has always yearned for.

Director Avinash Arun won a National Film Award for Best Marathi language film for his debut feature Killa. The film also won the Crystal Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. Trained as a cinematographer, he also directed some episodes of the hit Amazon Prime show Patal Lok.

CLOSING FILM

Goldfish (English), dir. Pushan Kriplani, 101 minutes, 2022,

East Coast Premiere with Red Carpet from 4:30 PM, Film Screens at 5:30 PM
at SVA Theatre,
333 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011

Screening will be followed by Q&A with cast and crew in attendance.

Starring Kalki Keochlin and Deepti Naval, Goldfish is the story of Anamika Fields is the daughter of an Englishman and an Indian woman. Her mother, Sadhana Tripathi, left behind a career as a Hindustani classical vocalist of great promise to marry her father and move to the UK. Her father died when Anamika was ten.

Twenty-five years later, Sadhana is suffering from the onset of dementia. This situation is exacerbated by Sadhana’s deep-seated reluctance to leave the house she has worked so hard for, Ana’s own precarious financial and professional circumstances, and the astronomical cost of specialized care in a society that would just rather forget their elderly.

Mother and daughter, strangers for over a decade, find themselves thrown together once again after all this time. This has always been a difficult, damaging relationship. Some of it was a by-product of their circumstance. And some of it was absolutely deliberate.

Anamika is forced to become several things, all at once: she is daughter and mother, care-giver and secretary and detective, shield and scalpel. Around her, in the neighborhood she escaped, Anamika begins to discover a woman she never knew at home, alive in memory, in anecdote, in music she doesn't understand.

Goldfish is director Pushan Kriplani's second feature. His debut film Threshold won two awards at 2016 NYIFF - the Best Actress for Neena Gupta and Best Actor for Rajit Kapoor.

For photos and press materials Click HERE

About The New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF):
NYIFF is the oldest, most prestigious film festival screening premieres of feature, documentary and short films made from, of, and about the Indian subcontinent in the independent, arthouse, alternate and diaspora genres. Four days of screenings, post-screening discussions, industry panels, award ceremonies, special events, after parties, red carpet galas, media attention and packed audiences build an awareness of Indian cinema, entertain and educate North Americans about the real India, and add to the amazing cultural diversity of New York City. For more information, please visit www.nyiff.us

About Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC): The IAAC supports all the artistic disciplines in classical, fusion, folk and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India. We work cooperatively with colleagues around the U.S. to broaden our collective audiences and to create a network for shared information, resources and funding. Our focus is to help artists and art organizations in North America as well as to facilitate artists from India to exhibit, perform and produce their work here. The IAAC is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. For information, please visit www.iaac.us.

For IAAC
Suman Gollamudi
Indo-American Arts Council
suman.gn@iaac.us