Indo-Canadian director-scriptwriter Deepa Mehta will officially inaugurate the fifth annual Washington D.C. South Asian Film Festival 2016 here. The three-day annual film festival, which will kick off with a red carpet reception and gala Sept. 9, will screen movies and documentaries from South Asian countries.
Bengali filmmaker Suman Ghosh’s romantic movie “Mi Amor,” starring Parambrata Chatterjee and Raima Sen, is the opening feature film of the fest. “Mi Amor” is the story of two Indians, who are in their 30s and live in Miami. The staleness and loneliness of their diaspora life in the U.S. makes them embark on an unusual romantic journey in an effort to spice up their life together.
As a tribute to the late ghazal maestro Jagjit Singh, the festival will screen the documentary “Kaagaz ki Kashti,” which is also the closing film. The Kalki Koechlin- and Naseeruddin Shah-starrer “Waiting,” and Juhi Chawla’s “Chalk n Duster” are among the other films to be screened at the event.
Other eminent attendees of the film festival are director Jeffrey Brown, actress Seema Biswas, actor Rajit Kapur, Rati Agnihotri, Palomi Ghosh, Pakistani actress Amna Ilyas and Pakistani director Harune Massey.
Manoj Bajpai said, “My experience at DCSAFF was enriching. Meeting creative people in a different country and celebrating cinema is something that has always been my passion. DCSAFF is filled with many passionate and devoted volunteers, who are the key to success of any creative venture.”
Aparna Sen, another talented actor commented, “It was wonderful being at the 4th DCSAFF this year! There was an interesting collection of films that I enjoyed viewing. I felt honored and happy that my film SAARI RAAT was sold out for the first show and was grateful to the organizers for arranging a second screening. I was struck by the enthusiasm of the audiences who crowded into the theatres, took part actively in the Q&A sessions after the screenings and attended seminars and workshops with an enthusiasm that warmed my heart.”