The 2022 edition of the New York Indian Film Festival will feature around 60 films, features, and documentaries, to highlight the effect of Indian culture on the globe and celebrate the country's celebrated cinematic traditions as India celebrates 75 years of independence.The festival, produced by the Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC), will have 60 screenings, including 18 feature narratives, six documentaries, and 36 short films, for the third year in a row.
The documentary 'Taangh/Longing,' directed by Bani Singh, will be the festival's centerpiece film, while 'The Beatles and India: An Enduring Love Affair,' directed by Ajoy Bose and Peter Compton, will be the festival's closing night feature.
The festival's highlights include a second centerpiece film, Faraz Ali's 'Shoebox' (Hindi), which explores a young woman's complicated relationship with her father as the world around them changes dramatically, the first NYIFF screening of a Sanskrit-language film, 'Bhagavadajjukam,' and special children's film screenings of 'Boomba Ride' (Assamese) and 'Gandhi & Co (Gujarati).
The festival will also screen a collection of short films exploring LGBTQ stories set in India, including 'Dal Bhat,' 'Keep Punching,' 'Kiss, Man & Wife,' 'My Mother's Girlfriend,' 'Pariah,' and 'The Way We Are,' as well as unique documentary tributes to the late lyricist, poet, and activist Kafi Azmi with 'Kaifinama' and film critic Ras
According to a report by the Hindu, IAAC Chairman Dr. Nirmal Mattoo said, "We look forward to sparking a resonating dialogue about the ongoing impact of Indian culture on the world on the 75th Anniversary of Indian Independence.”.
IAAC Executive Director Suman Gollamudi said in a statement that for two years now, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, "we have offered virtual streaming of films, providing filmmakers with even more outlets to showcase their work. We emerged stronger with a larger footprint as global audiences engaged with the films."
The New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) honours alternative, independent filmmaking from the global Indian community and offers this selection of films to the New York audience. On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of India's independence, known as "Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav" across the world, NYIFF will honour the country's famed cinematic heritage in 13 languages. “We aim to truly underscore the NYIFF commitment to diversity and cultural representation in film," NYIFF Festival Director Aseem Chhabra said.
"This year, we will feature films in 13 languages spoken in India: Assamese, Bengali, English, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Punjabi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu and Urdu. All films will have English subtitles."
Shift72, a video-on-demand (VOD) entertainment platform, will stream the film festival.
On May 14, the closing film screening and awards ceremony will take held in person in the city, honouring the best picture, director, writer, actor, actress, child actor, short (story), short (documentary), and documentary (feature).
The objective of NYIFF, according to Chhabra, is to give a platform for filmmakers, performers, and industry professionals to present their work, as well as to cultivate an atmosphere where filmmakers can share ideas and communicate with discerning and varied audiences, journalists, and fans.
