Pamela Chopra

Pamela Chopra is an acclaimed writer, producer, and Bollywood playback singer. Her celebrated career has often overlapped with veteran director Yash Chopra’s, who she was famously married to. Pamela sung and provided the music for several of his films, including Kabhie Kabhie (1976) and Muhjse Dosti Karoge! (2002). She has also been credited as a producer on many of these films, as well as Agina (1993) a film she independently produced by herself.

Rajeev Masand

Rajeev has hosted two of India’s popular eponymous film industry talk shows in a distinguished career as a film critic and journalist. Both shows were enormously successful and game-changers in their own right, shaping the relationship between the audience and film critic on Indian television. Rajeev was the Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, Special Correspondent and Film Critic at Star News and additionally Entertainment Editor and Film Critic at CNN-IBN. Interviewing big international talent such as Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, Guy Ritchie, M. Night Shylaman and Robert Downey Jr. to name a few. Rajeev was awarded Best Entertainment Critic by the National Television Awards in India and is currently a contributing editor of GQ India. Rajeev will be covering the 2017 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne on his show Rajeev Masand Ki Pasand, currently airing on IBN7.

Ross Fitzgerald

Ross Fitzgerald is an Australian academic, novelist, and political commentator who regularly contributes to The Canberra Times and The Weekend Australian newspaper, and makes frequent appearances on ABC Radio, ABC TV, and The Alan Jones Show. Fitzgerald is an emeritus professor in History and Politics at Griffith University and has published thirty-nine books including the memoir ‘My Name is Ross: An Alcoholics Journey’, which he is most famous for.

Simi Garewal

Synonymous with TV and cinema, Simi Garewal has become a living legend throughout Indian households for her film work both on and behind the silver screen. After swiftly landing her first acting role in the English language film ‘Tarzan Goes to India’ (1962) Garewal’s career skyrocketed towards success as she wrote, directed and starred in a variety of acclaimed films. As of late, Simi is most recognisable for her anchoring role on the trend-setting talk show ‘Rendezvous with Simi Garewal’. Simi is also a member of the jury for this year’s festival.

Uma Da Cunha

Uma da Cunha has been organising film festivals in India and abroad sine 1970’s, writing for leading newspapers and publications, casting for films such as Deepa Mehta's 'Water', Mira Nair's 'Kamasutraʹ, Jane Campion's 'Holy Smokeʹ, Dev Benegalʹs 'English Augustʹ, Ashutosh Gowariker's ʹLagaan’, and subtitling films.In her years in Mumbai, she has served as Hon. Secretary for Anandam Film Society and initiated Dristhi, the film society devoted to promoting new Indian cinema, and briefly as President for the Maharashtra Region, Federation of Film Societies. She has assisted major festivals such as Cannes, Locarno, Berlin and Venice, and later, Toronto and Busan. She has been presenting a selection of films under the ‘Discovering India’ section at the Mumbai Film Festival organised by Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI), since its first ever edition in 1997. She is the Founding Advisor to far-flung Indian Film Festivals, and has held Indian film seasons at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, The Lincoln Centre and the Museum of Modern Image. She is the founder-advisor for several film festivals, which include ones held in Florence (River to River), Los Angeles (IFFLA), London (LIFF), and others in Stuttgart, Houston and Melbourne. In 2009, she served on the International Jury for Cannes’ Un Certain Regard. Currently, she edits the journal, Film India Worldwide (FilmIndiaGlobal.com), and writes for the online daily newspaper thecitizen.in.