The 2021 virtual edition of one of the oldest and the most prestigious film festivals The New York Indian Film Festival has kicked off from today that is, June 4, 2021, and is scheduled to conclude on June 13, 2021.
The film festival spanning multiple genres is an interesting mix of feature films, documentary films, and short films, made from, of, and about the Indian subcontinent. Owing to its extensive and diverse range of films, it’s a festival that might have something for every cinema lover.
For instance, the feature film titled ‘Where is Pinki’ is a thriller that follows a regular middle-class working couple who leave their eight-month-old baby girl with the caretaker, who ‘loses’ the baby. When the baby’s mother returns home, she is shocked to find both her baby and her caretaker missing. And then begins a desperate search for the missing girl.
While another film ‘Fire in the Mountains’ follows a completely different narrative style and genre. It’s a heart-warming story set in a Himalayan village that follows a mother’s dream to build a road so that she can take her wheelchair-bound son for physiotherapy. But not without the challenges.
Then, the suspense drama titled ‘Uljhan’ (The Knot) features a married couple who accidentally runs over a rickshaw puller. The rest of the story revolves around the drastically different reactions of the husband and the wife after the incident and how they deal with its implications.
On the other hand, the documentary film ‘Talking Head’ portrays the life of acclaimed actor Dhritiman Chaterji and gives a unique perspective on cinema, its processes, and the directors. Dhritiman Chaterji had appeared in Satyajit Ray’s 1970 film ‘Pratidwandi’. Besides, the non-mainstream actor had acted in several prominent films of the decade and thereafter.
The New York Indian Film Festival 2021 will feature some celebrated guest stars including Naseeruddin Shah, Hansal Mehta, Rasika Dugal, Rituparna Sengupta, Zakir Hussain, Adil Hussain and Padmavati Rao, amongst others.
The eminent film festival is currently streaming virtually on the MovieSaints platform. Prospective viewers can apparently watch the feature films at the cost of Rs.150/- and short films for Rs.50/- onwards. Please log on to the festival’s official website for exact details about the films and renting process.