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Tag: Chicago South Asian Film Festival

  • Prime Video’s ‘The Mehta Boys’ dazzles at 15th Chicago South Asian Film Festival premiere

    Prime Video’s ‘The Mehta Boys’ dazzles at 15th Chicago South Asian Film Festival premiere

    Mumbai: Prime Video’s original movie The Mehta Boys stole the spotlight at the 15th Chicago South Asian Film Festival (CSAFF) with the exclusive world premiere on the opening night of 20 September. The film, which also marks Boman Irani’s directorial debut, received a thunderous applause from a packed audience, for its heartfelt story and stellar performances.

    The world premiere was attended by the film’s cast, including actor, writer, director, and producer Boman Irani, along with writer Alexander Dinelaris, actors Avinash Tiwary and Shreya Chaudhry, producer Danesh Irani, and executive producer Ankita Batra. The film received a fantastic response for its portrayal of a father-son relationship, making it relatable for the audience by showcasing the generation gaps and differing perceptions; while providing a perfect blend of humor and heart.

    An Irani Movietone LLP and Chalkboard Entertainment LLP production, The Mehta Boys is produced by Boman Irani, Danesh Irani, Vikesh Bhutani, and Shujaat Saudagar. The film tells the story of a father and son at odds with each other, who find themselves compelled to spend 48 hours together. The film follows their tumultuous journey and offers a nuanced exploration of the complexities often inherent in a father-son relationship.

    The Mehta Boys is slated to premiere soon on Prime Video in India and across 240 countries and territories worldwide.

  • ‘Farar’ by Applause Entertainment and Zindagi shines at DC South Asian Film Festival

    ‘Farar’ by Applause Entertainment and Zindagi shines at DC South Asian Film Festival

    Mumbai: Following its stellar success at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival, Applause Entertainment and Zindagi’s drama series, “Farar,” directed by Mehreen Jabbar and featuring a stellar cast including Sarwat Gilani, Mariam Saleem & Maha Hasan is poised to extend its international journey by gracing the US East Coast at the upcoming DC South Asian Film Festival. Slated for a screening on 3 December, this series, renowned for its compelling narrative and outstanding performances, continues to enthrall audiences on a global scale. To coincide with it’s release, director Mehreen Jabbar and actor Maha Hasan will be present at the festival on Sunday, 3 December, at 2:30 PM, hosted at the American University School of Communication Doyle-Forman Theater.

    Presented by Applause Entertainment, a Zindagi original Farar, a six-part series, tells the story of three independent women who are navigating the complexities of modern life. The series highlights the universal human experiences of friendship, love, and personal growth, while simultaneously tackling issues such as societal pressures, identity, taboos, and body shaming.

    Mehreen Jabbar, acknowledged as one of Pakistan’s foremost directors, expresses her excitement about the series premiering at the DC Film Festival, a city known for its vibrant South Asian community and a festival championing diverse storytelling. She notes, “The anticipation of our series premiering at the DC Film Festival is truly exciting. This dynamic city not only embraces a vibrant South Asian community but also hosts a festival known for championing diverse storytelling. In a time where divisions persist, it’s uplifting to witness the union of two major South Asian nations in the spirit of storytelling at the DC festival.”

    The DC South Asian Festival stands out as a highly acclaimed cinematic celebration, held annually in the heart of the United States, Washington D.C. This festival, now in its 12 years, takes pride in showcasing and honoring the finest in alternative cinema from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, and Sri Lanka. Faraar,’ takes center stage as the only web series to be screened in the drama category, that delves into tangled relationships and individual evolution, promising to be a standout moment at the festival.

    Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd chief creative officer Shailja Kejriwal said, “From Farar’s successful Chicago debut to its significant move to DCSAFF, it’s indeed been a remarkable journey. The Zindagi and Applause Entertainment partnership reflects our shared dedication to diverse narratives. We’re excited to witness how the audiences embrace our storytelling heritage.”
     

  • CSAFF kicks off with a star-studded and diverse line-up

    CSAFF kicks off with a star-studded and diverse line-up

    Mumbai: In its 13th edition, the Chicago South Asian Film Festival (CSAFF) opened on 22 September  with a brilliant line-up of film and talent for the increasingly popular event to be held through 25 September. A kick-off curtain raiser for the festival took place on 16 and 17  September .

    The festival, the largest of its kind in the Midwest, will present over 80 carefully curated independent films, shorts and documentaries in Downtown Chicago, at the Columbia Film Row and at DePaul University’s School of Cinematic Arts. Over 125 film makers and artists have made their way to Chicago for this annual event which will further showcase 27 World Premieres, 23 US Premieres and 30+ Chicago Premieres at this year’s festival.

    “Chicago is developing as a big film production hub,” stated CSAFF festival director Jigar Shah. “Our festival is creating awareness of South Asian diversity here in the Midwest while also bringing this international talent to Chicago to produce this unique, exciting experience.”

    A stellar grand opening to the festival took place on 23 September at the Columbia Film Row. Walking the red-carpet were renowned talents such as Yami Gautam Dhar and Rahul Khanna from India, director Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki, Samiya Mumtaz, Dananeer, Jugal Hansraj along with numerous other filmmakers and talent.

    The opening night feature film in its World Premiere was “Lost” by Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, starring Yami Gautam and Rahul Khanna. Chowdhury’s previous film, “Pink”, with Amitabh Bachchan and Taapsee Pannu made a mark in Indian mainstream cinema and created discussions around women’s consent.

    Additionally, Mostofa Sarwar Farooki was recognized and presented with the South Asian Film Award (SAFA), for his contribution to cinema. There was a special mention of the documentary “Barefoot Empress” by filmmaker and Michelin star chef, Vikas Khanna and Oscar-winning filmmaker, Doug Roland. The opening night also highlighted the short film, “Gray” by Sakshi Gurnani and Nikhil Taneja, starring actor Dia Mirza and Shreya Dhanwanthary.

    The festival showcased the World Premiere of the Marathi film “Vaalvi” by Paresh Mokashi, and also screened “Powai” by Kuldip Patel and “Pedro” by Natesh Hegde. The kick-off curtain raiser held on 16 and 17 September featured “A Night of Knowing Nothing” by Payal Kapadia, which won the best documentary at Cannes Film Festival in 2021, “Awakash” by Chittaranjan Giri, “Manikbabur Megh (Cloud & the Man)” by Abhinandan Banerjee and Kekee Manzil, and “House of Art” by Dilesh Korya.

    On Saturday, 24 September , there will be the Centerpiece film – “No Land’s Man”, by Mostofa Sarwar Farooki and Shrihari Sathe, starring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Megan Mitchell and Eisha Chopra and music by A.R. Rahman.

    “Four Samosas” by Ravi Kapoor will be the closing night film on Friday, 25 September, with the filmmakers in attendance. The film, which recently made a splash at the Tribeca Film Festival, features a popular and talented ensemble cast led by Venk Potula (“Veep”) and Karan Soni (“Deadpool”).

    Also, featured will be the North America Premiere and Marquee film of the festival, Shiv Shastri Balboa followed by a Q&A session with director Ajayan Venugopalan and actor Jugal Hansraj along with legendary actors Anupam Kher and Neena Gupta. CSAFF will also showcase a heart-touching short film, “Perianayaki”, which centers round the story of a Sri Lankan woman in New Zealand, by Bala Murali Shingade.

    The festival has an amazing collection of films from Pakistan too such as “Fatima Jinnah” by Danial Khan, “Stay Tuned” by Ali Ahmed and Dawa by Ariella Khan. It will showcase daring documentaries that will steer engaging conversation among the audience. There are several films and documentaries by upcoming women directors from Canada such as “Marginalizing Minorities” by Dipti Gupta, “Women Beyond Bollywood” by Rahila Bootwala and “This Stained Dawn” by Anam Abbas.

    CSAFF will also showcase local Chicago filmmakers and their films – “Before After”, “Trek to the Top”, “Propinquity”, “Ozona”, the episodic “Stuck in Reality” and more. In addition, the festival will feature films which center on controversial issues of religious prejudices, sexual orientation and bullying. Featured is “Bully High”, written and directed by Bill McAdams Jr., a coming-of-age drama headlined by an exciting young cast of Hollywood newcomers, Aneesha Madhok, Joseph Baena (son of Arnold Schwarzenegger) among many other films.

    “We are so proud of the caliber of the films and the diversity we will be presenting this year, and it is so powerful to be able to showcase it in the theaters,” pointed out Jigar.

    CSAFF will close on Sunday, 25 September  with a ceremony and awards given for best feature, best short, best documentary and documentary short as chosen by the audience. Throughout the festival there will be several event opportunities including discussions, the Filmmakers’ Lounge Series, a Bollywood dance night and Closing night after-party.