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The Indian Film Festival 2008

IFFLA (Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles) 2008

By Smita Salgaonkar

The 6th Annual Indian Film Festival began on Tuesday, April 22nd at the Arclight Cinemas in Hollywood.  The Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) is a nonprofit organization devoted to promoting a greater appreciation of Indian cinema by showcasing films about India and the diverse perspectives of the Indian Diaspora.

IFFLA is a labor of love for Founder-Director Christina Marouda, who was introduced to Indian films in her teenage years in Greece.  She then came to the US to pursue her MBA followed by a career in film distribution.  Christina soon realized that in spite of India being the world’s largest film producer, none of the Indian films were part of mainstream film festivals or there was no Indian Film Festival being held in the US.  She took on the challenge, and now 6 years into it, the festival is larger than ever before.  This year’s festival held over 6 days, featured close to 40 films and was attended by more than 6,500 filmgoers and more than 60 filmmakers.  

AMAL was screened as the IFFLA Opening Night Red Carpet Gala presentation on Tuesday, April 22.  This award winning feature directorial debut by Richie Mehta is based on his 2005 IFFLA Grand Jury prize winning short film, AMAL.  Adapted from a short story by Shaun Mehta, the film chronicles the results of a fateful meeting between a humble auto rickshaw driver and an eccentric tycoon.  Having touched the tycoon with his unflappable integrity and pure decency, the driver (‘Amal') is left a vast fortune by the eccentric man upon his death. The efforts to locate the driver by the man's shiftless sons and deceitful business associates combined with his own efforts to save the life of a street urchin threaten to change his life forever – and not necessarily for the better. The cast includes Rupinder Nagra, Koel Purie, Naseeruddin Shah, Roshan Seth and Seema Biswas.

Mehta, who attended the Opening Gala along with Rupinder Nagra and other cast members said, "I've shown my last three films at IFFLA and I consider it an annual duty to attend the festival because of its programming and amazing vibe. To open the festival with AMAL is a great honor, to even show at IFFLA is always an honor”.    

The evening’s festivities also included an after party at the Cabana Club featuring performances by world music chart toppers Bombay Dub Orchestra from London spinning original dj mash-ups inspired by the medleys of India and Bollywood. The blue13 dance company performed an invigorating dance performance using their famed Bollywood-tech and neo-kathak style.

Other highlights included the presentation of the 2008 IFFLA Industry Leadership Award to Andy Bird, Chairman of Walt Disney International, and Timmy Kandhari, Executive Director in the financial advisory service practice and leader of the Entertainment and Media Practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers India at a ceremony that took place on Friday, April 25, 2008 at Hollywood’s House of Blues, as well as nightly musical performances in the IFFLA Rhythm Village (located in the ArcLight Hollywood Courtyard) presented by Rukus Avenue featuring entertainment by Gurpreet Chana, Gingger, CJ, Raagapella, Mark Killian and Sandeep.

The festival closed with the IFFLA Closing Night Gala presentation of MUMBAI CUTTING…A CITY UNFOLDS on Sunday, April 27 at ArcLight Hollywood. A joint project by eleven of the best directors in India, including Sudhir Mishra, Anurag, Kashyap, Rituparno Ghosh, Revathy, Kundan Shah, Jahnu Barua, Rahul Dholakia, Shashank Ghosh, Manish Jha, Ruchi Narain and Ayush Raina, the film gives each an opportunity to interpret Mumbai, one of the most dynamic, prosperous and vivacious cities in the world.  At times stark, sometimes comical, and equally cynical, and hopeful, the diverse visions capture the complexities of the 60 million people that have been drawn to India’s dream factory, where struggling for survival is the main pastime. 

On closing night, I had a chance to speak with some of the filmmakers and actors who were excited and honored to be part of the IFFLA.  Comedienne Rasika Mathur who participated with a humorous short film SARI (W)RAP thought the festival was ‘awesome’.  “Christina and her staff treated us very well and I was very happy to be a part of it”.  Jahnu Barua, Director of ANJANE DOST which is one of the 11 films from MUMBAI CUTTING said, “There is a lot of vibrant energy in the IFFLA.  It is amazing and creditable to Christina that she has organized an Indian film festival, even though she is not from India.  Manish Acharya, whose film “Loins of Punjab” won the Audience Choice Award for Best Feature Film commented that “to have a festival like this is a gift to us as filmmakers”.  Amit Gupta, Director of a short film “Love Story” said “The festival was very well organized and it was a great venue to meet people, see great movies and meet filmmakers.  It has certainly opened up new avenues for us”.  Dr. Shiva, who composed the music for the Feature Film Amal, which won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Feature Film thought “the festival was fantastic, human, interactive, warm, and stimulating!  Christina’s staff made ‘little things happen”.  Shonali Bose, a Director who was part of the jury this year, commented that “this was one of the topmost and most fantastic Indian film festivals in the world!  It is a great ‘space’ where all of us in cinema get to know each other.” 

The evening concluded with an after party at ML Hollywood, which featured a tribute to composer RD Burman by the Bollywood Step Dance group.

The 2008 Award winners were announced on closing night –

JURY AWARDS

GRAND JURY PRIZE FOR BEST FEATURE
AMAL directed by Richie Mehta
Special mention for Debut Feature: Frozen directed by Shivajee Chandrabhushan
Jurors: Nishikant Kamut, Nancy Kwan, Sendhil Ramamurthy

GRAND JURY PRIZE FOR BEST DOCUMENTARY
THE GLOW OF WHITE WOMEN directed by Yunus Valley
Special mention for Documentary: Shot in Bombay directed by Liz Mermin
Jurors: Shonali Bose, John Nein, Susan West

GRAND JURY PRIZE FOR BEST SHORT
MIDNIGHT LOST AND FOUND directed by Atul Sabharwal
Jurors: Nisha Ganatra, Sarah Hoch, Meredith Scott Lynn

AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARDS

BEST FEATURE FILM
LOINS OF PUNJAB directed by Manish Acharya

BEST DOCUMENTARY FILM
SUPER 30 directed by Christopher Mitchell

BEST SHORT FILM
QUAMAR – WORKING TO LIVE directed by Preeya Nair

 Learn more about The Indian Film Festival

See Pictures Of The Indian Film Festival 2008

 

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