If you’re in New York next week, say between November 11 and November 15, definitely check out the 9th annual Mahindra Indo-American Arts Council Film Fest. The festival’s name tends to get a bit confusing since I’ve also heard it called New York’s Indian Film Festival, but it’s thrown by the Indo-American Arts Council and this year’s lineup looks really great.
Naseeruddin Shah and Aasif Mandvi in Today's Special.
The opening-night selection, on Wednesday, Nov, 11th, will be David Kaplan’s Today’s Special, based on the Obie Award-winning play by “Daily Show” correspondent Aasif Mandvi:
After being passed over for a promotion, Samir (Aasif Mandvi), a sous chef, abruptly quits to go to France. But when his estranged father has a heart attack, Samir’s life tracks back to Jackson Heights, Queens, and he takes over the faltering family restaurant. As luck would have it, his paths cross with Akbar, a taxi driver and former chef (Naseeruddin Shah in yet another delicious star-turn) from Mumbai, who approaches his art with the subtlety and creativity of a raga. Details here.
Tahaan screens on Novemer 13, 2009.
On Friday, Nov. 13th, the festival will screen its centerpiece film — Santosh Sivan’s Tahaan:
Tahaan lives with his family in the Kashmir valley. The eight-year-old’s father has been missing and the moneylender takes away the family’s assets, including Tahaan’s pet donkey, Birbal. The boy is determined to bring his donkey back home, but finds he has to do a favor for a teenager that he encounters during his search. Director Sivan, who had previously shot Mani Rathnam’s Roja (1992) in Kashmir, developed his fable-like screenplay after reading a story in an Indian newspaper.
Watch the trailer here:
Endless Wait
And the closing-night selection will be Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury’s The Endless Wait about the new Kolkata (formerly Culcutta) of glittering surfaces and intertwined relationships. Starring Satyajit Ray’s legendary discoveries, Sharmila Tagore and Aparna Sen in their first film together. Also with Rahul Bose, Kalyan Roy.
The MIAAC Film Festival includes 10 U.S. premieres and the world premiere of Nandini Sikand and Alexia Pritchard’s Soma Girls.
Check out other highlighted films here, and the full schedule here.
And if you want a taste first, check out trailers!
Air India 182 reconstructs one of the most deadly pre-9/11 act of air terrorism in history:
Apron Strings stirs up a fun multicultural Kiwi dish:
The winner of Best UK Feature at the 2008 Raindance Film Festival, The Blue Tower, is hothouse brew of urban dreams, busy streets and cramped suburban homes in Southall:
Bollywood Beats looks like the crowd-pleasing dance number of the festival:
Bombay Summer is a beguiling look at the conflicting needs of family and life in modern India:
More trailers here, and more info about panels, parties, venues, times, etc. here.
