The Chicago South Asian Film Festival (CSAFF) has announced the line-up of films for its 1st annual festival, which runs October 1st through 3rd, 2010. The three-day festival presented by NetIP Chicago and Vachikam Inc. is proud to showcase 16 films, including 9 Chicago premieres, 2 world premieres and 1 US premiere.
“I feel very confident about our selections, as they represent a balanced view of what filmmakers want to showcase about South Asian culture, and they cover a variety of genres through features, shorts and documentaries. We chose these films based on the stories that are being told, the performances, and overall production value. For our first year, I think we have a great lineup.” said Mileen Patel, Programming Director. “As we begin the first of many festivals to come, we invite all of Chicago to join us in celebrating our culture, and in celebrating that which brings us all closer – our community.”
Kicking off the festival is the Chicago Premiere and directorial debut of Deepti Naval‘s TWO PAISE FOR SUNSHINE FOUR AANAS FOR RAIN, starring Manisha Koirala, Rajit Kapoor, and Sanaj Naval. The film about the mystery of human relationships and the search for happiness will find its audiences stirred and spellbound. The red carpet event will be held on Friday, October 1st, 2010, at the Chicago Cultural Center and will be adorned by the film’s cast along with many other prominent South Asian and Bollywood celebrities.
Making its US Premiere at the festival is Chicago native Ajay Naidu’s directorial debut ASHES starting himself, Faran Tahir, Heather Burns, Piper Perabo, and Firdous Bamji. “I feel deeply honored to have my film picked for the ‘first’ South Asian film fest of Chicago. I originally wanted to shoot this film on Devon but couldn’t make it happen. It is a very sweet homecoming for this story” said Ajay. “People should see it to know that the South Asian community is not just producing tinkerbell movies about cultural confusion but rather viable powerful stories about social issues. Ashes was very difficult to make and even more difficult to finish. I would like to share that effort with the people who are trying to tell stories through cinema. I want people to see it because it may help people get past their own guilt in the face of loss.”
The festival comes to a close with a movie about a child’s view of an often incomprehensible world; 7 DAYS IN SLOW MOTION is directed by Umakanth Thumrugoti and stars Teja, Kunal Sharma, Shiva Varma, Rajeshwari Sachdev, and Ayesha Jaleel.
For more information, including how to purchase tickets and festival passes, please visit www.csaff.org.
About CSAFF
The first Chicago South Asian Film Festival, presented by NetIP Chicago and Vachikam Inc., hosted by Columbia College Chicago and supported by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, will be held from October 1st through October 3rd, 2010. The festival was developed to promote South Asian culture throughout the Chicago area and Midwest by showcasing films by South Asians as well as films that represent the perspectives of the Diaspora. For more information on the Chicago South Asian Film Festival, please visit www.csaff.org.
About Network of Indian Professionals – Chicago
The Network of Indian Professionals Chicago (NetIP-Chicago) is a, non-profit, 501(c)(3) professional organization dedicated to the overall achievement and advancement of South Asian professionals. For more information, please visit www.netipchicago.org.
About Vachikam
Vachikam is committed to bringing greater awareness and appreciation of the Indian performing arts and culture to audiences in the United States and Canada. As a national and local promoter, Vachikam showcases the rich and diverse mosaic of Indian theatre by promoting accomplished artists in high-caliber drama, dance, and musical performances. Vachikam also draws upon its extensive network of artists to orchestrate special social occasions and benefits for the Indian-American community. For more information, visit www.vachikam.org.
About Columbia College Chicago
With more than 120 academic programs and nearly 12,500 students, Columbia College Chicago is the largest and most diverse private arts and media college in the nation. For more information, please visit www.colum.edu.
About Chicago Cultural Center
The Chicago Cultural Center is one of the city’s most visited attractions and is home to many of its great public events which include free music, dance, and theater events, as well as films, lectures, art exhibitions and family events. For more information, please visit www.chicagoculturalcenter.org.
Major Sponsors
Major sponsors include Etihad Airways, Sheraton Chicago, Allegro Chicago— a Kimpton Hotel, and Comcast.
