| Festival Director's Overview |
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Welcome to the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne!
This is a double celebration of the world’s biggest film industry,
in all its crazy diversity, and multicultural Melbourne. |
Like Melbourne itself, Indian cinema is incredibly diverse.
From Bengali art house to Hindi mass entertainment and
South Indian action, there’s something for everyone. We’ll be
screening a dazzling selection of 35 films from across India,
celebrating her film industry’s dizzying breadth, from “masala”
movies (lots of ingredients all cooked in the same pot) to regional art house and even straying across the subcontinent
for rare Australian screenings of their cinema.
In honour of Melbourne’s vibrant production base, we’re
holding a series of master classes with special guests from
the Indian film industry, including costume designer Sabyasachi, writer Abhijat Joshi with
Director and co-writer Raju Hirani, and the ten time national award winning Rituparno Ghosh.There’s also a sidebar on animation collaboration with Jugal Hansraj and much more!
Some of India’s biggest stars are coming too, with Tamil superstar Vijay, former Ms. World
and Bollywood goddess Priyanka Chopra, superstar Shahid Kapoor, filmmakers Kunal Kohli
and Vicky Bahri, all joining us to celebrate the arrival of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne.
In the multicultural spirit with which this festival is intended, we’re excited to share films from
India’s subcontinental neighbours. Acclaimed director Onir, one of the most exciting voices
creating India’s new wave, has specially curated films from India’s neighbouring countries
like Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Nepal.
We are also honoured to welcome the one and only Vidya Balan, one of India’s finest
and boldest actors, as the festival’s official ambassador; flying the flag for our exciting film
festival. As someone who has changed the way women are portrayed on screen in India,
she is the true embodiment of a festival that endeavours to showcase the sheer breadth and
evolution of Indian cinema.
Finally, as well as fostering broader cultural ties, we also hope to provide a platform for new
voices and visions. Acclaimed young Melbourne illustrator Jessica Singh has designed our
festival key art and, in collaboration with Western Union, we’re looking for the filmmakers
who we hope to be screening at future Indian Film Festivals of Melbourne. The Western
Union Short Film Competition is open to filmmakers from India, Australia and New Zealand and you can see some of the winning entries at Hoyts during the festival, and soon on
SBS. The celebration continues in the twin locations of Hoyts Melbourne Central and Hoyts
Chadstone as the home to the festival this year.
So come and celebrate the films and filmmakers of the world’s biggest cinema producer,
right in the heart of Melbourne. Film lovers are in for a treat!
Mitu Bhowmick Lange |
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Premier of Victoria
Minister of Innovation
Festival Director
FESTIVAL AMBASSADOR
the Lord Mayor
