NJIIFF To Celebrate Diversity & The Amalgamation Of Cultures Through Films
New Jersey Indian & International Film Festival ( NJIIFF), the first Indian and International, a competitive film festival in New Jersey will be held from June 8th to June 10th, at Regal Hadley Theatre Stadium 16, South Plainfield, New Jersey.
The objective is to reach out and connect filmmakers across the world and of Indian origin, South Asian and American descent. The festival aims to contribute and further the cause of art and literature by innovative storytelling through selected films, handpicked by an intensive judging panel of veteran filmmakers and media personnel.
NJIIFF director Hemant M. Pandya said, “We aspire to bring together many communities and celebrate the element of diversity in filmmaking. The festival aims to connect filmmakers with the distributors and potential investors, and also to create a market for Regional Indian Films.”
The film program is tailor-made for filmmakers and film-enthusiasts and consists of experimental, animation, live-action and docudramas. The competition film line-up boasts of a wide spectrum of films, curated from across the world and includes 06 documentaries, 11 feature lengths, and 25 short films.
NJIIFF will also showcase the recent popular Bollywood films Shubh Mangal Savdhan starring Ayushman Khurana and Bhumi Pednekar, Mukkabaaz of Anurag Kashyap & Bucket List of veteran actress Madhuri Dixit ( her first Marathi film) in the non-competition category, in presence of the Director of Shubha Mangal Savdhan R.S.Prasanna, Director of Bucket List Tejas Deoskar, Producer Bucket List Ashok Subhedar, Producer of film Prague, Rohit Khaitan.
FEATURED NARRATIVES AT NJIIFF:
HALF WIDOW:
Director: Danish Renzu Feature: 1hr 31min Country: India
Date Of Completion: 2017
Amid the backdrop of the Kashmiri conflict, a young woman must come to grips with the disappearance of her doting husband and embarks on a harrowing journey of self-discovery.
TIKLI AND LAXMI BOMB:
Director: Aditya Kripalani Feature: 2hr 14min Country: India
Date Of Completion: 2017
Tikli and Laxmi Bomb is a mini-revolution in which two sex workers in Mumbai, create a system for women, run by women, in which the final customer is a man but women run it the way they want. How far are they able to go in this endeavor? How tall is their new organization able to grow before it becomes too big a threat for patriarchy to let it exist?
MY POT OF GOLD:
Director: Priyanka Tanvar Feature: 57min
Country: India
Date Of Completion: 2016
My Pot of Gold revolves around the lives of three wonderfully different people; Alexandra (Nani), Kiarrah (Granddaughter) and Sunita (Maid). The relationship they share is so strong that in spite of all their violent and outrageous fights; a hearty laugh, a tight hug and a big kiss is undoubtedly exchanged.
FEATURED DOCUMENTARIES AT NJIIFF:
NOBODY DIES HERE:
Director: Simon Panay Documentary: 24min Country: France
Date Of Completion: 2016
Perma gold mine, Benin. Some dream to find something, others realized there was nothing to be found. Some dig relentlessly hoping to become rich, others died in the process. And a few of them say that here, nobody dies.
WITH THIS RING:
Director: Anna Sarkissian Documentary: 1hr 30min Country: Canada
Date Of Completion: 2016
Filmed over the course of six years, With This Ring follows the meteoric rise of three Indian women who sidestep traditional roles to become world champion boxers. Boxing becomes their lifeline, their source of income, and their community, and ultimately what rips them apart.
NARRATIVE SHORTS AT NJIIFF:
FIRST CHAIR:
Director: Colleen Davie Janes Short: 14min
Country: USA
Date Of Completion: 2017
A teenage cellist, struggling against artistic roadblocks, ends up saving her high school music program in a big musical finale.
SONO UN SUPEREROE ( I AM A SUPERHERO):
Director: Nino Giuffrida Short: 19min
Country: Italy
Date Of Completion: 2018
The classic Italian family, happy until the dismissal from the workplace of Sergio, husband of Miriam and father of Federico, a 9-year-old down child, and Chiara, a 6-year-old girl. The man will not say anything to the family, he believes he has been wronged.
WEIRD:
Director: Fausto Montanari
Short: 2min
Country: Italy
Date Of Completion: 2017
“Weird” is a short animated film about the diversity. It is a shout of a girl usual to be judged like weird and different.
The organizers of the New Jersey Indian and International Film Festival comprises of veteran filmmakers, critic, and media personalities. With a strong affinity to independent films, the festival will provide a platform for creative voices in storytelling in different forms. While drawing attention to New Jersey as the cultural hub and a melting pot for diverse expressions, the art-loving audience is in for a unique cinematic treat. The festival is in its first year and already expecting over a thousand plus industry professionals and cine-lovers.
For more info about the festival, please visit www.njiiff.org
