India Kaleidoscope Film Festival Returns with Premieres Of 8 New Films

After a successful launch in 2016, Museum of the Moving Image and The India Center Foundation present the second annual India Kaleidoscope Film Festival (IKFF), to take place from November 9 through 12, 2017. India Kaleidoscope is a new festival that will present film lovers with a chance to immerse themselves in the unique sights and sounds that make up the Indian regional, independent film landscape. These films, which explore the most relevant and pressing topics facing the subcontinent, are being made by today's most progressive filmmakers working in regional languages. This year, India Kaleidoscope will span seven different regional Indian languages and include new programming initiatives that bring independent regional Indian cinema to an even wider audience.

"The India Center Foundation is delighted to present India Kaleidoscope again with our friends and partners at MoMI," said Priya Giri Desai, a Founding Director of The India Center Foundation. "It's an honor to offer these cinematic works to the film-going community and to give exposure to new sights, sounds and languages from across the Indian subcontinent."

MoMI Chief Curator David Schwartz said, "India Kaleidoscope, in just its second year, is already making a great impact as a showcase for the incredible diversity of Indian cinema, with its focus on artistic and independent films from the many regions of this sprawling, culturally rich country."

"Indian cinema today is independent and regional language cinema, and these films represent the best and most exciting work from the country. We are thrilled to present this eclectic and wholly original selection of films and filmmakers to the New York and U.S. audience," said Sudeep Sharma, festival programmer.

India Kaleidoscope Film Festival 2017 will screen eight feature films, seven of which will be U.S. or North American premieres. Most films will feature directors in person, and half of the directors are women. The Opening Night film is Dark Wind (Kadvi Hawa).

Other highlights include the U.S. premiere of The Brawler (Mukkabaaz) by acclaimed director Anurag Kashyap and Pahuna, a film produced by actress Priyanka Chopra (ABC's Quantico). In an effort to expand IKFF to wider audiences, this year's closing night screening will be held at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation Theater in Manhattan. See below for full lineup. All films will be screened with English subtitles.

The IKFF 2017 programming committee includes Priya Giri Desai (The India Center Foundation), Ashok Sinha (The India Center Foundation), Priyadarshini Shanker (NYU Cinema Studies), Anupama Kapse (Loyola Marymount), Tristine Skyler (writer and producer), Ritesh Mehta (Film Independent) and Sudeep Sharma (film programmer); with additional programming support from Uma da Cunha and Christina Marouda (Museum of the Moving Image, IFFLA).

Tickets: Tickets for Opening Night are $30; all other tickets are $15 (with discounts for Museum members at select levels). This year, IKFF will also have festival passes.Tickets will go on sale at the following link, beginning October 18: movingimage.us/indiakaleidoscope.

Location for most screenings: Museum of the Moving Image Summer M. Redstone Theater 36-01 35 Avenue, Astoria, Queens, New York 11106 | Phone: 718-777-6800

Location for closing night screening: SAG-AFTRA Foundation Theater, 247 W 54th St, New York, NY 10019

FILMS AND SCHEDULE FOR IKFF 2017:

DARK WIND (KADVI HAWA)
Director: Nila Madhab Panda [attending]
Thursday, November 9, 2017, 7:30PM (followed by reception)
Venue: MoMI Redstone Theater
North American Premiere

In Hindi, 99 mins, Narrative
Special Mention, National Film Award 2017

With Sanjay Mishra, Ranvir Shorey, Tillotama Shome. Once famous for their farming, the people of the Mahua region in Rajasthan have forgotten the earthy scent of rainfall on their soil. In crushing debt, and unable to grow food, many farmers commit suicide. Hedu (Sanjay Mishra), the blind father of a farmer, fears his struggling son may do the same. Gunu Baba (Ranvir Shorey), called the 'god of death' by villagers for the suicides attributed to him, arrives to collect bank payments, but is himself worried about the floods and frequent cyclones that threaten his family in the coastal village of Satabhaya, Odisha. Each wanting to save their own family, they decide to help one another. With stark landscapes and moral choices, DARK WIND is a wake-up call for a world suffering with climate change, still unprepared to face the consequences of their actions.

THE BRAWLER (MUKKABAAZ)
Director: Anurag Kashyap [attending]
Friday, November 10, 2017, 7:30PM
Venue: MoMI Redstone Theater
US Premiere

In Hindi, 153 mins, Narrative
Official Selection - Toronto Film Festival, Busan Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival

With Vineet Kumar Singh, Zoya Hussain, Jimmy Shergill. Daring auteur Anurag Kashyap (Gangs of Wasseypur, Raman Raghav 2.0) adds a wholly original Indian perspective to the rich history of boxing and sport films. Aspiring boxer Shravan (Vineet Kumar Singh) slogs day and night to achieve his dream of being a recognized boxer. Things go awry when he falls in love with a high-caste, mute girl who happens to be the niece of his arch nemesis, the head of the state boxing federation. Shravan soon finds out that in India, boxing is about everything else but the sport, which is heightened by the volatile political climate of Uttar Pradesh.

THE GOLDEN WING (SONAR BARAN PAKHI)
Director: Bobby Sarma Baruah [attending]
Saturday, November 11, 2017, 2:00PM
Venue: MoMI Redstone Theater
New York Premiere

In Rajbangshi, 86 mins, Narrative
Official Selection - Indian Film Festival of LA, Mumbai Film Festival

With Pranami Borah, Arati Barua, Pranjal Saikia. The life, music, and homeland of legendary folk singer Pratima Barua Pandey take center stage in THE GOLDEN WING. Born to royalty and raised in Western Assam, the film opens with young Pandey fascinated with the music and stories of servants and people working in the fields. Despite being dissuaded away from such "vulgar" music, she continues learning and performing the music of her people and sharing it with the world. Bobby Sarma Baruah, with images from the stunning Assamese landscape and original records from Pandey herself, offers a fresh take on the bio pic with an subject that deserves more recognition as an Indian and world artist.

UP DOWN AND SIDEWAYS (Kho ki pa lü)
Directors: Anushka Meenakshi, Iswar Srikumar [attending]
Saturday, November 11, 2017, 4:30PM
Venue: MoMI Redstone Theater
North American Premiere

In Chokri, 83 mins, Documentary
Official Selection - Yamagata Documentary Film Festival, Mumbai Film Festival

UP DOWN & SIDEWAYS is a sensory take on the everyday lives of the community of rice cultivators in Phek - a town in Nagaland - and their memories of love and loss created from working together on the fields. On the field, people often come together in farming collectives called müle and work and sing together over many seasons. As the seasons change, so does the music, transforming the mundane into the hypnotic. In the lyrics of their music is reflected the philosophy of Li; the fact that its base polyphonic structure cannot be created with a lone voice. The love that they sing of is a metaphor for the need for the other - the friend, the family, the community - to build a polyphony of voices. An unforgettable sonic and visual journey to a land and people with traditions that have sustain them for generations.

PRAKASAN
Director: Bash Mohammed [attending]
Saturday, November 11, 2017, 7:00PM
Venue: MoMI Redstone Theater
International Premiere

In Malayalam, 84 mins, Narrative
Official Selection - Mumbai Film Festival

With Dinesh Prabhakar, Laya Krishna. Deep in the tropical forests of south India, Prakasan (Dinesh Prabhakar) decides to leave his seemingly idyllic life for a government job in the big city. Despite the warnings from friends and family, Prakasan makes the long trek and is immediately shocked by the language and customs of everyone he meets. Still committed to being successful in his new surroundings, he is further tested when he learns his job is to educate sex workers. Director Bash Mohammed's second feature, PRAKASAN is a wryly funny, touching, and timely story on migration from the village to the city.

PAHUNA
Director: Paakhi Tyrewala
Sunday, November 12, 2017, 2:00PM
Venue: MoMI Redstone Theater
U.S. Premiere

In Sikkimese, 79 mins, Narrative
Official Selection - Toronto Film Festival

With Ishika Gurung, Anmoul Limboo, Manju KC Nanu. When three young Nepalese children, including a baby brother, are separated from their parents as they flee into Sikkim, they hear tales from other villagers about the supposed evil deeds of the Christian priests that will take them in. Amrita and her brother Pranay decide to go off by themselves in order to survive. In a new land, they survive only on the kindness of the hill people and their resolve to protect each other. A heartwarming and family friendly debut feature from director Paakhi Tyrewala, PAHUNAis produced by Priyanka Chopra and her mother Dr. Madhu Chopra as part of a planned series of films set in India's cinematically underrepresented areas.

LAST DAYS. LAST SHOT
Director: Sumira Roy [attending]
Sunday, November 12, 2017, 4:30PM
Venue: MoMI Redstone Theater
U.S. Premiere

In Hindi/Bengali/Bhojpuri, 53 mins, Documentary
Official Selection - DOCWOK, Scandinavian Film Festival Helsinki, Film South Asia

Life and death co-exist every day on the banks of the Ganges in Varanasi. LAST DAYS. LASTSHOT tells the story of two people living in the ancient city. Vikram takes photos of the dead before their cremations as a last memento for family members. Dada was once a celebrated artist in Tokyo and runs a guesthouse with his Japanese wife. Elegantly told with a lighthearted playfulness, Sumira Roy's debut documentary shows two contrasting views of life and death.

CYCLE
Director: Prakash Kunte [attending]
Sunday, November 12, 2017, 7:00PM
Venue: SAG-AFTRA Foundation Theater
International Premiere

In Marathi, 102 mins, Narrative

With Hrishikesh Joshi, Priyadarshan Jadhav, Bhalachandra Kadam. In rural 1960s Maharashtra, Keshav (Hrishikesh Joshi) is a respected fortune teller with a loving family and one prized possession: a beautiful foreign made bicycle. One night when two bumbling thieves steal his bike, Keshav is crushed and, despite his friends and families best attempts to cheer him up, he feels he has lost a part of himself. Meanwhile, when nearby villagers recognize the bike's as Keshav, the thieves come up with an elaborate story and struggle to stay one step ahead in their ruse. Featuring gorgeous cinematography and strong performances, CYCLE is a charming and heartwarming tale of the power of goodness.

ABOUT MUSEUM OF THE MOVING IMAGE Museum of the Moving Image advances the understanding, enjoyment, and appreciation of the art, history, technique, and technology of film, television, and digital media. In its stunning facilities- acclaimed for both its accessibility and bold design-the Museum presents exhibitions; screenings of significant works; discussion programs featuring actors, directors, craftspeople, and business leaders; and education programs which serve more than 50,000 students each year. The Museum also houses a significant collection of moving-image artifacts. movingimage.us

ABOUT THE INDIA CENTER The India Center is a national, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in the United States dedicated to the study of the Indian subcontinent, the promotion of its cultural life, and the unique relationship between India and the United States. Based in New York City, The India Center hosts dialogues and exhibitions, mounts programs, educates audiences and fosters debate focused on India's future as well as its rich and varied past. It is also a home for the ever-evolving stories of Indian Americans in the form of a comprehensive oral history archive. The India Center is a platform for both established and emerging experts and artists exploring the evolution of the world's largest and most complex democracy. The India Center is supported primarily by patrons, foundations and the public. It is not affiliated with either the U.S. or Indian government. theindiacenter.us

MUSEUM INFORMATION Hours: Wednesday-Thursday, 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Friday, 10:30 to 8:00 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Holiday Hours: Closed November 24 and December 25. Early closing on December 24 (at 4:00 p.m.) and December 31 (at 5:00 p.m.). Open Monday, December 26; Tuesday, December 27; Monday, January 2, 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Museum Admission: $15 adults (18+); $11 senior citizens (65+) and students (18+) with ID; $7 youth (ages 3-17). Children under 3 and Museum members are admitted free. Admission to the galleries is free on Fridays, 4:00 to 8:00 p.m. Film Screenings: Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays, and as scheduled. Unless otherwise noted, tickets are $12 adults / $9 seniors and students / $7 children 3-17 / free for Museum members at the Film Lover and Kids Premium levels and above. Advance purchase is available online. Tickets purchase may be applied toward same-day admission to the Museum's galleries. Location: 36-01 35 Avenue (at 37 Street) in Astoria. Subway: M (weekdays only) or R to Steinway Street. Q (weekdays only) or N to 36 Avenue. Program Information: Telephone: 718-777-6888; Website: movingimage.usMembership: movingimage.us/support/membership or 718-777-6877.

Museum of the Moving Image is housed in a building owned by the City of New York and has received significant support from the following public agencies: New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; New York City Economic Development Corporation; New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; Institute of Museum and Library Services; National Endowment for the Humanities; National Endowment for the Arts; and Natural Heritage Trust (administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation). For more information, please visitmovingimage.us.