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THE NEW YORK INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL UNVEILS FULL 2022 LINEUP & AWARD NOMINEES
MAY 7-14 2022
THE NEW YORK INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL UNVEILS FULL 2022 LINEUP & AWARD NOMINEES
MAY 7-14 2022

VIRTUAL EVENT WILL FEATURE 60 FILMS AND OFFER EXCLUSIVE Q&A WITH DIRECTORS

- On the 75th year of India's independence, NYIFF celebrates the country's acclaimed cinematic traditions in 13 languages" -

NEW YORK, NY – April 13, 2022 – At an in-person press event at the Indian Consulate (3 East 64th St., New York, NY 10065) on April 19, 2022, the New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF), North America's oldest and most prestigious festival which features cinema from India and the Indian Diaspora, will announce its full lineup for 2022. Now in its 22nd year, the festival celebrates independent, art house, alternate, and diaspora films with on-demand streaming offered by Shift72 from May 7-14, 2022. There will also be a closing night film screening and awards presentation at the Village East Cinemas, 181 2nd Ave., New York, NY 10003 on May 14, 2022, starting at 4:30 p.m.

“For two years now, 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,” said Suman Gollamudi, IAAC Executive Director. “This year, we are excited to offer an in-person closing event and award ceremony on May 14 in New York.”

“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,” said Dr. Nirmal Mattoo, IAAC Chairman.  

Presented by the Indo-American Arts Council, Inc. (IAAC), NYIFF celebrates alternative, independent cinema from the global Indian community and brings this rich collection of films to the New York audience. Presented virtually for the third year in a row, the festival will feature 60 screenings (18 feature narratives, six (6) documentaries and 36 short films). Key highlights from the lineup include:

  • A second centerpiece film - Faraz Ali’s Shoebox (Hindi) explores a young woman’s complex relationship with her father as the world around them changes drastically
  • First NYIFF screening of a Sanskrit-language film, with Bhagavadajjukam
  • Special children’s films screenings - Boomba Ride (Assamese) and Gandhi & Co. (Gujarati)
  • Unique documentary tributes to the late lyricist, poet and activist Kafi Azmi in the Kaifinama, and film critic and larger-than-life Bombay personality, Rashid Irani in If Memory Serves Me Right
  • A collection of shorts exploring LGBTQ stories set in India with Dal BhatKeep PunchingKissMan & WifeMy Mother's GirlfriendPariah and The Way We Are
Also, several well-known Indian film personalities will be featured in a wide array of works, including:
  • Abhishek Banerjee from Patal Lok (Mr. Lawyer)
  • Adarsh Gourav from The White Tiger (Kiss)
  • Dhritiman Chatterjee and Tinnu Anand (A Box of Cuban Cigars)
  • Jitendra Joshi and Vikram Gokhle (Godavari)
  • Kani Kusruti (Nishiddho/ Forbidden)
  • Lakshvir Saran from Fame Game (Mintgumari)
  • Manav Kaul and Amruta Subhash (The Way We Are)
  • Naseeruddin Shah (The Daughter)
  • Rituparna Sengupta (Mahishasur Marddini)
  • Tanmay Dhanania (Pariah and Nishiddho/ Forbidden)

“We aim to truly underscore the NYIFF commitment to diversity and cultural representation in film,” said Aseem Chhabra, NYIFF Festival Director. “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.”

“NYIFF’s mission is to provide filmmakers, actors and industry professionals a platform to showcase their work, as well as foster an environment where filmmakers exchange ideas and interact with discerning and diverse audiences, journalists and aficionados,” Chhabra added.

Each of these films along with the complete collection of NYIFF-recognized titles will be available for viewing starting May 7, 2022, at online.nyiff.us. Available for purchase starting April 19, 2022, the cost to view each film ranges from US$4.99 for feature films (narrative and documentaries) and US$0.99 for shorts. Some films will also be available for viewers outside the U.S.

Audiences outside the U.S., excluding India, can pay in their local currencies. In India, the cost will be Rs. 150 for features and Rs. 50 for shorts. Discounted festival passes will also be available. 

Feature Narrative Films
  1. Bhagavadajjukam (Sanskrit), dir. Yadu Vijayakrishnan, 101 mins., 2021
  2. Boomba Ride (Assamese), dir. Biswajeet Bora, 76 mins., 2021
  3. Burqa (Tamil), dir. Sarjun KM, 81 mins., 2021
  4. Deid (Marathi), dir. Omkar Barve, 98 mins., 2022
  5. Demons (Hindi), dir. Rohit Mittal, 96 mins., 2021
  6. Gandhi & Co. (Gujarati), dir. Manish Saini, 101 mins., 2022
  7. Godavari (Marathi), dir. Nikhil Mahajan, 113 mins., 2021
  8. Jhini Bini Chadariya/ The Brittle Thread (Hindi), dir. Ritesh Sharma, 97 mins., 2021
  9. Koli Esru (Kannada), dir. Champa P Shetty, 81 mins., 2022
  10. Mahishasur Marddini (Bengali), dir. Ranjan Ghosh, 118 mins., 2022
  11. Nishiddho/ Forbidden (Malayalam, Bengali), dir. Tara Ramanujan,124 mins. 2021
  12. Once Upon a Time in Calcutta (Bengali), dir. Aditya Vikram Sengupta, 131 mins., 2021
  13. Pedro (Kannada), dir. Natesh Hedge, 108 mins., 2021
  14. Powai (Hindi), dir. Kuldip Patel, 126 mins.,  2021
  15. Shoebox (Hindi), dir. Faraz Ali, 98 mins., 2021
  16. The Road to Kuthriyar (Tamil), dir. Bharat Mirle, 115 mins., 2021
  17. Three-Legged Horse (Marathi), dir. Noopur Bora,123 mins., 2021
  18. Waiting for Dawn/ Bhor Er Oppekha (Bengali), dir. Akash Sharma, 77 mins., 2021
Feature Documentaries
  1. 15 Seconds a Lifetime (Hindi, Marathi and English), dir. Divya Kharnare, 62 mins., 2021
  2. If Memory Serves Me Right (English), dir. Rafeeq Ellias, 56 mins., 2021
  3. Kaifinama (Urdu, English), dir. Sumatra Ghosal, 90 mins., 2019
  4. Lords of Lockdown (English, Hindi), dir. Mihir Fadnavis, 120 mins., 2021
  5. Taangh/ Longing (English, Punjabi, Hindi and Urdu), dir. Bani Singh, 100 minutes, 2021
  6. The Beatles and India (English), dir. Ajoy Bose and Peter Compton, 96 mins., 2021
Short Narratives
  1. 7 Star Dinosor (sic.) Entertainment (Hindi), dir. Vaishali Naik, 20 mins., 2021
  2. A Box of Cuban Cigars (English, Bengali, Hindi), dir. Soumadeep Sen, 21 mins., 2021
  3. Arjun (Marathi), dir. Shivraj Waichal, 15 mins., 2020
  4. Cheepatakadumpa (Hindi), dir. Devashish Makhija, 24 mins., 2021
  5. Cycle (Hindi, Telugu, Oriya, Bengali), dir. Devashish Makhija, 20 mins., 2021
  6. Dal Bhat (Gujarati), dir. Nemil Shah, 29 mins., 2021
  7. Holiday (Hindi), dir. Rahul Nangia, 12 mins., 2020
  8. Keep Punching (Hindi), dir. Kirnay Bhatt, 25 mins., 2020
  9. Kiss (Hindi), dir. Varun Grover, 17 mins., 2021
  10. Kopfkino (Malayalam, English), dir. Veena Bharati, 16 mins., 2021
  11. Man & Wife (Bengali, English), dir. Rahul Roye, 9 mins., 2021
  12. Mintgumri (Hindi), dir. Aakash Chhabra, 23 mins., 2021
  13. Mr. Lawyer (Hindi), dir. Sumit Purohit, 23 mins., 2021
  14. My Mother’s Girlfriend (Marathi), dir. Arun Fulara, 15 mins., 2021
  15. Nafs Said (Hindi), dir. Huma Hussain, 13 mins., 2021
  16. Overbridge (Kannada), dir. Nihar Kapoor and Amshu Chukki, 9 mins., 2020
  17. Pariah (Hindi), dir. Nishant Roy Bombarde, 26 mins., 2021
  18. Raavi (Punjabi), dir. Jasmine Kaur Roy, 14 mins., 2021
  19. Smrisha (English, Malayalam), dir. Shilpa Krishnan Shukla, 30 mins., 2021
  20. Succulent (Hindi, English), dir. Amrita Bagchi, 29 mins., 2021
  21. Swarna (Telugu), dir. Anusha Rao, 29 mins., 2021
  22. The Daughter (Hindi), dir. Soumyak Kanti Debiswas, 16 mins., 2022
  23. The Silent Echo (Nepali), dir. Suman Sen, 15 mins., 2021
  24. The Test (Hindi), dir. Shahnawaz Qadeer, 14 mins., 2020
  25. The Way We Are/ Phir Kabhi (Hindi), dir. Nihit Bhave, 18 mins., 2021
  26. There is No Other Way to Do This (English), dir. Mragendra Singh, 6 mins., 2022
  27. Together (Hindi), dir. Azad Alam, 23 mins., 2021
  28. Vanilla (Hindi), dir. Kanishka Deo, 11 mins., 2021
Short Documentaries
  1. Aakhri Safar/ The Last Journey (Hindi), dir. Suraj Gunjal, 22 mins., 2021
  2. Kicking Balls (Hindi), dir. Priyanka Singh, 36 mins., 2020
  3. Listen With Your Heart (English), dir. Meghna Damani, 27 mins., 2022
  4. Murmurs of the Jungle (Marathi, Hindi), dir. Sohil Vaidya, 20 mins., 2022
  5. Reflections at 29 (English), dir. Tanmaya Shekhar, 6 mins., 2021
  6. The Bat Man and Woman of India (English), dir. Emily Driscoll, 7 mins., 2021
  7. The Flowers and the Gemstones (Tamil), dir. Sriram Raja, 23 mins., 2019
  8. The Spirit of Ganga (English), dir. Natashja Rathore, 17 mins., 2022
Media RSVP is required to neerja@neerjapr.com by April 18, 2022 for the Indian Consulate press event and by Tuesday, May 3, 2022 for film reviews and closing night attendance.
More information and a full list of all films available from April 19 at: online.nyiff.us
 
The 22nd Annual NYIFF Award Nominations
This year’s nominations were chosen by a prestigious panel of filmmakers and will be judged by artists, festival programmers, academics and media professionals. The winners will be announced as part of the closing event on May 14, 2022.
Best Film
  • Burqa
  • Godavari
  • Nishiddho/ Forbidden
  • Once Upon a Time in Calcutta
  • Shoebox
Best Director
  • Aditya Vikram Sengupta (Once Upon a Time in Calcutta)
  • Faraz Ali (Shoebox)
  • Natesh Hedge (Pedro)
  • Nikhil Mahajan (Godavari)
  • Noopur Bora (Three-Legged Horse)
Best Screenplay
  • Bhagavadajjukam
  • Demons
  • Waiting for Dawn/ Bhor Er Oppekha
  • Mahishasur Marddini
  • Powai
Best Actor
  • Gopal Hedge (Pedro)
  • Jitendra Joshi (Godavari)
  • Kalaiyarasan Harikrishnan (Burqa)
  • Muzaffar Khan (Jhini Bini Chadariya/ The Brittle Thread)
  • Tanmay Dhanania (Nishiddho/ Forbidden)
Best Actress
  • Aloknand Roy (Waiting for Dawn/ Bhor Er Oppekha)
  • Amrita Bagchi (Showbox)
  • Kaani Kusruti (Nishiddho/ Forbidden)
  • Mirna (Burqa)
  • Shreelekha Mitra (Once Upon a Time in Calcutta)
Best Child Actor
  • Arnav Abdagire (Arjun)
  • Indrajeet Pegu (Boomba Ride)
  • Jinay Haria (Dal Bhat)
  • Reyaan Shah (Mintu) & Hiranya Zinzuwadia (Mitra) (Gandhi & Co.)
  • Shreyas Kota (Deid)
Best Short (Narrative)
  • Keep Punching
  • Mr. Lawyer/ Vakeel Babu
  • Succulent
  • The Daughter
  • The Way We Are/ Phir Kabhi
Best Short (Documentary)
  • Kicking Balls
  • Listen With Your Heart
  • Murmurs of the Jungle
  • The Bat Man and Woman of India
  • Aakhri Safar/ The Last Journey
Best Documentary (Feature)
  • 15 Seconds a Lifetime
  • If Memory Serves Me Right
  • Kaifinama
  • Taangh/ Longing
  • The Beatles and India
About The New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF):
NYIFF is the oldest, most prestigious film festival screening premieres of feature, documentary and short films made from, of, and about the Indian subcontinent in the independent, arthouse, alternate and diaspora genres. Seven days of screenings, post-screening discussions, industry panels, award ceremonies, special events, nightly networking parties, red carpet galas, media attention and packed audiences build an awareness of Indian cinema, entertain and educate North Americans about the real India, and add to the amazing cultural diversity of New York City. For more information, please visit the website at nyiff.us and at HERE.
About Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC):
The IAAC supports all the artistic disciplines in classical, fusion, folk and innovative forms influenced by the arts of India. We work cooperatively with colleagues around the U.S. to broaden our collective audiences and to create a network for shared information, resources and funding. Our focus is to help artists and art organizations in North America as well as to facilitate artists from India to exhibit, perform and produce their work here. The IAAC is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. All donations are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowable by law. For information, please visit www.iaac.us.