Entertainment / Highlights From The New York City South Asian Film Festival (NYCSAFF)

Highlights From The New York City South Asian Film Festival (NYCSAFF)

Entertainment Nov 05, 2021

by Marriska Fernandes

The 3^rd annual New York City South Asian Film Festival (NYCSAFF) was held over the weekend. Presented by Toyota North America for a second time, this festival boasted 22 shorts, docs and full-length feature films in over a span of three days. Here are the highlights and our list of films that need to be noted including Shabana Azmi’s turn in soon-to-be-iconic film Sheer Qorma, while Bangoli director Tathagata Ghosh makes history at the festival with his two films!

The New York City South Asian Film Festival (NYSAFF) showcased 22 shorts, documentaries and feature films over a span of three days (October 22nd to 24th) at the Helen Mills Event Space & Theater in Chelsea. The festival premiered four world premieres, seven North American premieres and 11 New York premieres.

NYCSAFF’s Festival Director Jitin Hingorani said: “For our first physical festival post-pandemic, we were especially selective about finding stories that would lift spirits and provide inspiration. For a year and a half now, festival-goers have been consuming cinema-worthy content on their laptops and cell phones. We needed to program the kind of films that would GIVE them a reason to leave their homes and join us in the theaters again.”

Best Feature – Mehrunisa by Sandeep KumarBest Actor – Ritesh Rajan for Definition Please Best Actress – Late Farrukh Jaffar for MehrunisaBest Director – Geeta Malik for India Sweets & Spices Best Short – Barefoot Empress by Vikas KhannaBest Long Form Short – Laali by Abhiroop Das Best of Fest Recipients: Director – Faraz Arif Ansari for Sheer QormaActor – Divya Datta for Sheer QormaSocial Impact Award – Womb by Ajitesh Sharma and produced by Apoorva Bakshi & Juliet BlakeLifetime Achievement Award – Asha Puthli for her contributions to music & film

Here are the top five films to watch!

Sheer Qorma

**Highlights From The New York City South Asian Film Festival (NYCSAFF): *Sheer Qorma*.** Photo Credit: NYCSAFF

Sheer Qorma is a story of belonging and acceptance, identity and family told through courageous, queer women choose to embrace love that exists beyond their personal beliefs and social moralities.

Directed by Faraz Arif Ansari
Hindi/Urdu/English, 30 minutes, 2021, India

Barefoot Empress

An extraordinary true story of 96-year-old Karthiyani Amma who had spent most of her life as a temple cleaner to make ends meet for her family. Recently when given an opportunity, she decided to educate herself, ignoring societal norms. She worked hard and topped the exam scoring 98% proving that it’s never too late to realize your dreams.

Directed by Vikas Khanna
English/Malayalam, 15 minutes, 2021, India

Miss Man

After being shunned by his homophobic father for his sexuality and his lover for not being a woman, Manob finds himself travelling to the city for a sex change operation. However, as he struggles with his identity, he faces challenges and questions he may not be ready to confront yet.

Directed by Tathagata Ghosh
Bengali, 25 minutes, 2019, India

India Sweets and Spices

Alia Kapur (Sophia Ali) returns to her family’s posh suburban New Jersey home after a year away at college and upends their well-ordered life with her brash independence. After befriending Varun (Rish Shah), the handsome son of the new owners of the local Indian grocery, she invites his family to a dinner party where family secrets are revealed. Alia’s surprise turns to rebellion when she uncovers secrets about both her parents that push her toward a daring and ultimately hilarious confrontation. INDIA SWEETS AND SPICES celebrates a young woman’s coming of age set against a lovingly framed glimpse of the life of an Indian American family.

Directed by Geeta Malik
English, 101 minutes, 2021, USA

Mehrunisa

To achieve her lifelong dream, an 80 year old actress takes on the male-dominated Indian film industry, and unwillingly becomes a leading advocate for women’s rights.

Directed by Sandeep Kumar
Hindi, 90 minutes, 2021, Austria

Be sure to keep an out on your streaming services and theatres to catch these films!

Main Image Photo Credit: NYSAFF

Marriska Fernandes

Author

Marriska (@marriska.fernandes) is an entertainment expert who has been creating celebrity, movies and pop culture content for digital outlets for over ten years. From reporting headline-grabbing celebrity news to reviewing movies to interviewing Hollywood and Bollywood’s finest actors and industry...

COMMENTS

Check Out These Oct 2021 Movies From Bollywood And Beyond!

From The Slums To The Stage: “Call Me Dancer” Documentary Shares The Unique Journey Of Ballet Dancer Manish Chauhan

TIFF 2021: “Sort Of” Star/Co-Creator Bilal Baig Embraces The Power Of Trans Representation In Their Barrier-Breaking CBC Comedy

The Team Behind "Emergence: Out Of The Shadows" Tell Us Why Parents Of LGBTQ+ Kids Need To Share Their Stories Too

TIFF 2021: One-On-One With Aliya Kanani Who Shines In Award-Winning Indie "Scarborough"

Check Out These November 2021 Movies From Bollywood And Beyond!

This Is Why The South Asian Film Festival Of Montreal (SAFF Montreal) Should Be On Your List

Holiday Gift Guide 2021: 9 Fab Books By South Asian Authors

Agam Darshi Shows The Beauty Of An Adult Coming-Of-Age In 'Donkeyhead'

Check Out These December 2021 Movies From Bollywood And Beyond!

TIFF 2021: Riz Ahmed Shines In His Latest Psychological Thriller "Encounter"

We Go Behind The Scenes Of The Already Iconic IKEA “Chaiyya Chaiyya” Holiday Commercial

Highlights From The New York City South Asian Film Festival (NYCSAFF)

by Marriska Fernandes

Marriska Fernandes

COMMENTS

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE