(New York, NY – May 15, 2018) The longest-running, most prestigious South Asian Film Festival in North America, NYIFF, ended with a bang on Saturday (11th May, 2018). The film festival showcased 78 films including features films, shorts, documentaries, and animated films in 11 languages over a six-day-period, May 7th to May 12th, at the Village East Cinemas on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
The Marathi film ‘Nude’, directed by Ravi Jhadav, bagged two awards— Best Film and Best Actress (Kalyanee Mulay) at the prestigious New York Indian Film Festival. Commenting on the win, director Ravi Jadhav, said, “I am overwhelmed to receive this honour on Mother’s Day. The film has always stood tall against all odds and there is a remarkably rugged renaissance across Marathi cinema. It is a triumph of an art”. Starring Kalyanee Mulay, Chhaya Kadam and Naseeruddin Shah in a special appearance, the movie is centered on a mother who poses as a nude model for students of an art college, to fund her son’s education.
The WINNERS of NYIFF 2018 include:
Best Film: NUDE
Best Director: Nishil Sheth (BHASMASUR)
Best Screenplay: CHUMBAK (writers Sandeep Modi & Saurabh Bhave)
Best Actor: Manoj Bajpayee (IN THE SHADOWS)
Best Actress: Kalyanee Mulay (NUDE)
Best Child Actor: Ali Haji (NOBLEMEN)
Best Short: MAACHER JHOL (The Fish Curry) directed by Abhishek Verma
Best Documentary: ABU directed by Arshad Khan
The program boasted FOUR world premieres, TWO international premieres, SIX North American premieres, ONE U.S. premiere and 11 New York premieres from FOUR South Asian countries (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka), as well as North America and the United Kingdom.
About NYIFF:
The New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) is seven days annual film festival that takes place in New York City, and screens films relating to India, the Indian Diaspora, and the work of Indian filmmakers. The festival began in November 2001 and was founded by Aroon Shivdasani and the Indo-American Arts Council (IACC). This 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. Like the Oscars and Golden Globes, the jurors sent their decisions directly to KPMG, who brought the envelopes for the winning films and filmmakers to the awards ceremony. The festival’s jury consists of 13 members who have worked in both the Indian and American film industry. The entire event include of screenings, post-screening discussions, industry panels, award ceremony, special events, nightly networking parties, red carpet galas, media attention and packed audiences, etc. building an awareness of Indian cinema for a period of 7 days.