Jessica Edwards

Heter Myers

MURPHY PR (Publicists)

 

 

New York, NY – Tuesday, November 25, 2008 – The Fifth Annual South Asian International Film Festival presented by HBO and official ‘Founding Sponsor’ SANA, ran a full week and concluded on Tuesday, October 28, 2008. The festival saw record turnouts, with over thirteen (13) completely sold-out screenings, starting with the opening night of Nandita Das' directorial debut film FIRAAQ, which drew a crowd of over 1,200 New Yorkers to the historic Ziegfeld Theatre … including over 500 additional last minute guests hoping to get their hands on the covet opening night movie ticket! Das' sensitive film chronicled the lives of various characters dealing with the aftermath of the Gujarat riots and carnage. Set over a 24-hour period, the film traces the emotional journeys of these ordinary people - some who were victims, some perpetrators and some who chose to watch silently.

 

Shilen Amin, SAIFF’s President says “The festival has become the single most important film platform in New York City for both emerging and established South Asian filmmakers who want to showcase their new work to a massive audience for a massive response ... without fail! SAIFF’s ever-growing database with SANA’s legendary mailing lists within the South Asian community, makes the festival a one-of-a-kind event that commands the attention of the entire local community including thousands of industry insiders to its annual festival celebration, perhaps one of the main reasons the festival continues to see record growth each year, as new attendees are finally exposed to what other audience members already knew about SAIFF … that it is the ‘must-attend’ festival and ‘must-see’ screenings during the week-long event if you want to discover the many new independent stories and great films coming out of our community today.” The festival continues to showcase a host of talented directors, actors and filmmakers opening up a whole new world of quality films and documentaries for the South Asian Diaspora. Amin says “our team has also grown in multiples since 2004 of key staffers and volunteers with whom we are running out of space to literally fit into one room and therefore we are currently looking to find a bigger office to hopefully place them and many new incoming team members come by next year.”

 

“The fact that SAIFF takes place in the heart of Manhattan is a wonderful draw for audiences and fans. The ties SAIFF has with the South Asian community in the NY/NJ area is second to none. They know how to get the word out and build interest about the films and the festival in an effective and impressive manor,” said Jaffar Mahmood, director of the hugely entertaining romantic comedy SHADES OF RAY which won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at SAIFF 2008 and who also saw yet another packed house of 400 guests on Saturday night!

 

Mahmood says his film appeals to people across a wide spectrum, not just South Asians. “I'd like to think that my film, SHADES OF RAY, won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature Film at SAIFF because it's a comedy that anyone can relate to -- but the fact that the protagonist is half Pakistani and it played to a mostly South Asian crowd certainly didn't hurt my chances.” The film boasted a stellar line-up of actors including Zachary Levi, Bonnie Somerville, Brian George and Kathy Baker, and tells the story of American-born Ray Rehman with a neurotic, golf-obsessed Pakistani father and a Caucasian mother. It's a comedic, heartfelt tale about the idiosyncrasies that make family and relationships so unique, no matter how or where they originate.   

 

Yet another sold-out screening of 400 guests on Friday Night made for big draw at the festival for Madhur Bhandarkar's film, FASHION. The film tells the story of the rise and fall, and phoenix-like rebirth of India’s number one supermodel. Set against the glittering backdrop of the glamorous but ruthless world of haute couture fashion, this is the story of one small town girl with a dream and the determination to make it a reality.

 

Miss India 2007- Sarah Jane-Dias, who was a member of the 2008 SAIFF Grand Jury says she can see why the audience in New York connected with the film. “Fashion is perfect for an audience in New York because just like Mumbai, New York is known for its fashion industry and although the two worlds are different in many ways but there are certain obvious similarities.” Dias says she's taking a lot back with her from this festival than just the visuals. “It's one of the few festivals showcasing South Asian talent from not just South Asia but all over the world. I loved the fact that I had the opportunity to meet with such diverse film makers/writers/producers/directors all under one roof. The selection of shorts and feature films was outstanding.”

 

Festival-goer Kalpana Nagampalli saw 11 shorts, 5 feature films and 3 of the documentaries at the festival. “I'm South Asian but many of my friends are from other parts of the world. Good cinema appeals to people irrespective of ethnicity and background. SAIFF 2008 had a fabulous line-up of films showcasing talent you'd rarely see in the mainstream U.S. Theaters.” She says the after-parties were a great way to connect with other movie fans and her favorite film was Nandita Das' FIRAAQ and Mahmood's SHADES OF RAY.

 

 

On October 24 and 26, SAIFF screened Kris Cheppaikode's VERTICAL LIVING MADE EASY. The film tells the gripping story of Sophia, an illegal political refugee from Chilé, and her relationship with Cal, a homeless boy she finds beaten up in the basements of one of the buildings she works in. The film follows Sophia's growing attachment to Cal which drives her to become increasingly unstable, placing her family at risk. This is a movie for and about lonely people doing bad things. His next project is based in India and will be his first feature, a searing revenge tale set in South India. Cheppaikode says one of the highlights of the festival included the people he was able to meet. “If you're based in the US and want to make films in South Asia, this festival represents an extraordinary opportunity to meet other filmmakers, producers and actors who want to work on films by or about the South Asian Diaspora. Unlike many other festivals, invited filmmakers have easy access to the bigger names attending the festival, as well as the festival organizers themselves.”

 

 

Other festival highlights included THE POOL, directed by Chris Smith, which won The Grand Jury BEST NARRATIVE FEATURE AWARD, the documentary film DOORMAT, directed by Christy Garland and Susan Armstrong which won The Grand Jury BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE AWARD and NARMEEN, which was the Short Film Winner. SAIFF exceptional jury members included including: Simon Taufique, Reyad Farraj, Jaydeep Sarkar, Waris Ahluwalia, Anadil Hossain, Aasif Mandvi, Ramin Bahrani, Amelia Hanibelsz, Maulik Pancholy, Sarah-Jane Dias, Alex Twersky, Mridu Chandra and David Torn.

 

Presenting Sponsor: HBO

Founding Sponsor: SANA

Official Sponsors: State Farm®, TIME WARNER CABLE and THE NEW YORK TIMES

Signature Sponsors: STAR TV, YATRA.com, VURV-INC.

Festival Partner/Headquarters: RUBIN MUSEUM OF ART

Media Partner: AVS TV

Promotional Partners: A3 (TimeInc.), ADHIKAAR, ANALOG DIGITAL INTERNATIONAL, APAF (NBC), ASHA FOR EDUCTION, ASIAN WOMEN GIVING CIRCLE, CHHAYA CDC, CRY, DESICLUB.com, LRBT AMERICA, SALAAM, SAYA, YOURDIL, and WOMEN MAKE MOVIES

 

For further information, including descriptions and synopses of all of the films at the 2008 South Asian International Film Festival, please visit www.saiff.org.

About SAIFF:The South Asian International Film Festival is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to supporting emerging and established artists from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh. With a focus on dynamic, visionary independent cinema, SAIFF aims to bring communities together to support these artists and unite in celebration of a common spirit. For more information, visit: www.saiff.org.