IFFH 2018 Award of Excellence: Dr. Renu Khator, Chancellor and President, University of Houston System/ University of Houston
IFFH 2018 Best Feature Film: “Once Again” directed by Kanwaljit Sethi
IFFH 2018 Best Short Film: “Shame” directed by Anusha Bose
IFFH 2018 Best Documentary Film: “Shalom Bollywood” directed by Danny Ben-Moshe
IFFH 2018 Special Recognition Award: Amrita Bagchi for her performance in the Feature Film “The Music Teacher”
Thursday, October 4, 2018, 4 pm
Cocktail Reception and Entertainment
Thursday, October 4, 2018, 5:15 pm, followed by Q & A session
Once Again – Feature Film
Director: Kanwal Sethi
Duration: 99 minutes
Language: Hindi (English subtitles)
Starring: Shefali Shah, Neeraj Kabi, Bhagwan Tiwari, Rasika Dugal
Synopsis:
An aging actor gets involved with the widowed woman who caters his meals at home and how their social divide tells on their relationship. Once they meet, their relationship escalates causing hardship for her and embarrassment for him. How they resolve their relationship is the question.
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Thursday, October 4, 2018, 7:20 pm
SOUND PROOF – Short Film
Director: Aditya Kelgaonkar
Duration: 30 minutes
Language: Hindi (English subtitles)
Starring: Soha Ali Khan and Vinay Pathak
Synopsis:
A young divorced woman rents an apartment in Mumbai hoping for a new beginning in life. She soon finds herself caught up in a maze of peculiar neighbors, strange occurrences and a loud blaring TV from a mysterious apartment.
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Thursday, October 4, 2018, 7:50 pm
Shalom Bollywood: The Untold Story of Indian Cinema – Documentary Film
Director: Danny Ben-Moshe
Duration: 75 minutes
Language: English
Synopsis:
SHALOM BOLLYWOOD reveals the unlikely story of the 2000-year-old Indian Jewish community and its formative place in shaping the world’s largest film industry. When Indian cinema began 100 years ago it was taboo for Hindu and Islamic women to perform on screen, so Indian Jewish women took on female lead roles, which they dominated for decades. Infused with music and dancing, the film focuses on the lives of five of the great Jewish actors.
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Friday, October 5, 2018, 4 pm
Cocktail Reception and Entertainment
Friday, October 5, 2018, 5:10 pm, followed by Q & A session
Shame – Short Film
Director: Anusha Bose
Duration: 24 minutes
Language: Hindi (English subtitles)
Starring: Swara Bhaskar, Anusha Bhaskar, Ranvir Shorey, Sayani Gupta, Tara Sharma, Cyrus Sahukar, Seema Bhargava Pahwa
Synopsis:
Shame is the twisted journey of a meek, vulnerable woman who emerges from the background to unapologetically reclaim her dignity, confidence and her right to desire. A guest at a posh hotel fires a housekeeping staff whom he catches trying on his girlfriend’s lingerie. This dark comedy explores the thin line between two worlds; the haves from the have-nots.
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Friday, October 5, 2018, 6:00 pm, followed by Q & A session
The Music Teacher – Feature Film
Director: Sarthak Dasgupta
Duration: 109 minutes
Language: Hindi (English subtitles)
Starring: Divya Dutta, Neena Gupta, Manav Kaul, Amrita Bagchi, Niharika Lyra Dutt
Synopsis:
Beni is a small town teacher struggling to make ends meet by teaching music and singing in clubs. Jyotsna, his estranged student has become a celebrity singer in Bollywood. When the town comes alive with the news of Jyotsna coming back for a day to sing in a big music concert, Beni has to come to terms with the pains of his past as well as the delusions of his present.
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Friday, October 5, 2018, 8 pm
Purdah – Documentary Film
Director: Jeremy Guy
Duration: 71 minutes
Language: Hindi (English subtitles)
Synopsis:
The inspiring story of a young Indian woman who trades her burka for dreams of playing on the Mumbai Senior Women’s Cricket Team and how the harsh realities for women in her country creates an unexpected outcome for her own family, ultimately shattering and fueling aspirations.
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