JUNE 13–17, 2018 Rideau Canal & Cycling Paths

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MeraTango presents

2 ND EDITION JUNE 13–17, 2018 Rideau Canal & Cycling Paths

National Gallery of Canada

Welcome to the Ottawa Indian Film Festival. While in Ottawa, take time to explore our beautiful city, its national landmarks, sites, museums and Parliament Hill celebrations–all of which tell the stories of Canada.

OTTAWATOURISM.CA MeraTango presents

2 ND EDITION JUNE 13–17, 2018 MeraTango presents

2 ND EDITION JUNE 13–17, 2018 ABOUT OIFFA Building its reputation as the place to be in Ottawa for all things India, OIFFA is the National Capital’s and Eastern Canada’s preeminent festival dedicated The place to be in Ottawa to Indian cinema. Now in its second year, the event is for all things India! dedicated to cultivating an audience for Indian cinema

FOR TICKETS & TICKET INFORMATION and Indian culture in Ottawa. It showcases Indian films, oifa.com supports Indian filmmakers and promotes the diverse perspectives of the Indian diaspora. A five-day competitive showcase of multi-genre Indian films, the Festival hosts a number of participating filmmakers as well as a roster of events, which include special screenings, contests and a Meet & Greet session as well as an Indian extravaganza with Indian food, music and dance hosted in the popular Festival space OIFFA City. OIFFA also serves as a springboard for Indian cinema in the National Capital throughout the year, with regular screenings of the most interesting current films from India and the Indian community.

2 A MESSAGE FROM OIFFA’S ORGANIZATION

Organizing a film festival is a monumental task, there’s no denying it. But it’s also a deeply gratifying experience because one gets to open people’s minds to new cultures and new visions of cinema. For us, at OIFFA, it’s a unique opportunity to ofer a glimpse at Indian society’s thousands of facets through its incredibly diverse and vibrant cinema, beyond the Bollywood spectacles that constitute almost the only thing that Western audiences know about it. India is the world’s largest producer of movies. OIFFA considers it its mission to bring Ottawa audiences the best that current Indian cinema has to ofer—all of Indian cinema, from East to West, North to South, from Delhi to Rajasthan, but also from filmmakers of the Indian diaspora around the world. We are also very proud to showcase a remarkable number of works from first-time feature filmmakers as well as female directors, producers and artisans. Our 2018 programme truly ofers a varied and eye-opening lineup made up of true discoveries for the Ottawa Indian community and greater public. Indian culture and cinema are our passion and it’s our pleasure to share it with you. We have worked hard over the past year towards this goal and we’re excited about bringing OIFFA’s second edition to you today. We thank our amazing team, devoted volunteers, great community partners, passionate filmmakers, wonderful sponsors and all of you, Ottawa film lovers, for coming to see these fantastic films we have chosen for you. Enjoy every second of the Festival! OIFFA is here to stay. Inderpreet Singh Executive Director and Director of Programming

3 MAYOR OF THE CITY OF OTTAWA

On behalf of Members of Ottawa City Council, it is my distinct pleasure to extend a warm welcome to all those participating in the 2nd annual OTTAWA INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL AWARDS, taking place from June 13th to 17th 2018. OIFFA has distinguished itself as our city’s and Eastern Canada’s premier festival awards gala of Indian cinema, shining the spotlight on Indian feature films, documentaries and short films representing a variety of genres and a diversity of Indian actors, filmmakers, producers and distributors, including artists from the Indian diaspora. This spectacular five-day festival awards extravaganza will also host the inaugural Bollywood Poster Competition and 1st ofcial Canadian Short Film Competition. As Head of Council, I want to acknowledge the team behind OIFFA, along with the artists and industry stakeholders for dedicating eforts, talents, expertise and resources to the successful organization of this marvellous cinematic celebration of Indian culture. Allow me to convey my best wishes to everyone in attendance for a rewarding experience and entertaining event.

Jim Watson Mayor

4 HIGH COMMISSIONER OF INDIA

I am delighted to learn that OIFFA is returning to Ottawa for its second edition. The Indian film industry has made a global mark with the quality of its films which appeal to film-lovers across the world, breaking boundaries of language and cultures. OIFFA, by recognizing the best of Indian cinema, is making an important contribution to spreading awareness of Indian cinema in Canada. I wish OIFFA all success and hope that the second edition will enable cine-goers in the Ottawa region to sample some of the latest quality releases from India.

Vikas Swarup High Commissioner

5 MeraTango presents

2 ND EDITION JUNE 13–17, 2018 The place to be in Ottawa for all things India!

CONTACT oifa.com • info"@"oifa.com @"OIFFA_2018 OIFFA 2018

LOCATIONS Cineplex Cinemas Lansdowne & VIP 325 Marché Way, Unit 107, Ottawa OIFFA City Aberdeen Square, Lansdowne Park (in front of Cineplex Cinemas)

TICKETS General Admission: $13 Taxes and service fees extra Single tickets may be purchased in person at the Box Ofce (opens one hour before the ﬁrst screening of the day). Based on availability. For guidelines regarding tickets and all other ticket and passes information, please go to oifa.com or write to tickets""@"oifa.com

6 SCHEDULE WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13 SCREEN A 7 pm • Love and Shukla#* Opening Film 9 pm • Limitless#* SCREEN B 7 pm • Garden of Desire (Aedan)#* 9:20 pm • To Let#* THURSDAY, JUNE 14 SCREEN A 7 pm • The Lottery (Chumbak)#* 9:15 pm • Bhasmasur#* SCREEN B 6:50 pm • With This Ring$Special Screening 8:40 pm • W/O Ram#* FRIDAY, JUNE 15 SCREEN A 4 pm • Three and a Half (Teen Aur Aadha)#* SCREEN B 4 pm • In the Shadows (Gali Guliyaan)$Festival Centrepiece OIFFA 6:30 pm • Indian extravaganza CITY Indian food, Bollywood music & dance ** SATURDAY, JUNE 16 SCREEN A 10 am • Short Film Program#* Beloved (Jaan Jigar), The Homestay, Mother (Amma, Meri), Please Don’t Call the Cops, Sound Proof SCREEN B 9:50 am • DHH#* SCREEN C 11 am • The Death Feast (Mrityubhoj)#* SCREEN D 10 am • 48-Hour Short Film Challenge Screening OIFFA 2:30 pm • Bollywood Poster Competition for Youths CITY (in the OIFFA City tent) ** 5:30 pm • Indian extravaganza Indian food, Bollywood music & dance 6:30 pm • Meet & Greet with Festival Guests including YouTuber Rupan Bal SUNDAY, JUNE 17 SCREEN A 10:15 am • Seeking Happily-Ever-After (Angrezi Mein Kehte Hain)#* Closing Film * Films in Competition ** FREE Screening times may change. For latest information, check our website: oifa.com 7 OFFICIAL COMPETITION JURY

Matt Holland André Lavoie Matt Holland is an actor, screenwriter, story After completing a Master’s Degree in Film Studies editor and script consultant from Montreal. His at University of Montréal, André Lavoie began his writing credits include short films (Drop Of, career as a freelance writer, which he has been Whistleblowers Anonymous), episodic television pursuing for the past 25 years. A film buf since his (Moose TV) and feature film Gone Dark (aka teenage years, he published his first film reviews in The Limit). Matt has also worked extensively as Ciné-Bulles magazine and, in 1998, became a film a development executive, serving as a television critic for Montreal-based newspaper Le Devoir. He content analyst for Telefilm Canada and as a is a regular contributor to various other publications development and production manager for the as well, such as Coup de pouce, Sélection du CTV network. A Communication and Creative Reader’s Digest and the Radio-Canada radio Writing graduate of Concordia University, he show Aujourd’hui l’histoire. A two-time winner at also graduated from both the Writers’ Lab and Les Grands Prix du Journalisme Indépendant, in the Professional Screenwriting Program at The Québec, for Best Opinion Piece in 2011 and Best Canadian Film Centre (Toronto). Matt has a special Cultural Review in 2012, André has also worked as a connection to Ottawa, as co-creator/co-writer of curator for diferent retrospectives about journalism the comedy series Toi & Moi, a project he undertook and film at La Cinémathèque Québécoise. In with his wife and fellow writer, Margaret McBrearty. addition, he hosts panels and debates after A Québec-Ontario co-production, Toi & Moi was documentary film screenings at various shot in and around Ottawa, and ran for three cultural centres across Montreal. seasons on Ici Radio-Canada and ARTV.

Marie Claude Mirandette A graduate in Fashion Design (college degree), Art History (Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees) and Film Studies (Certificate and Master’s Degree), Marie Claude Mirandette has worked as a curator for the Graphic Arts division at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts (1994-1999) and she has been an exhibition curator since 1999. She teaches Film and Art History in college and contributes to numerous publications. From 1999 to 2005, she wrote regularly for Le Devoir newspaper (literature and visual arts sections). A collaborator of Ciné-Bulles magazine since 2002 both as a film critic and an editorial assistant, she is also a regular contributor to Vie des Arts, Etc. Média and The Print Quarterly (a London-based academic journal about engraving). Her main areas of interest are interartiality (the meeting point of film, visual arts and theater), animation film and puppetry, as well as French and Canadian engraving.

8 OFFICIAL COMPETITION

FEATURES Opening Film: Love and Shukla ...... 10 Closing Film: Seeking Happily-Ever-After (Angrezi Mein Kehte Hain) ...... 11 Bhasmasur ...... 12 DHH ...... 13 Garden of Desire (Aedan) ...... 14 The Lottery (Chumbak) ...... 15 Three and a Half (Teen Aur Aadha) ...... 16 To Let ...... 17 W/O Ram ...... 18

DOCUMENTARIES The Death Feast (Mrityubhoj) ...... 19 Limitless ...... 20

SHORT FILMS Beloved (Jaan Jigar), The Homestay ...... 21 Mother (Amma, Meri), Please Don’t Call the Cops ...... 22 Sound Proof ...... 23 OPENING FILM LOVE AND SHUKLA Siddhartha Jatla

CANADIAN PREMIERE Love and Shukla is a story of sex, love and the search for privacy in a small, one-room Mumbai chawl. Shukla, an auto- INDIA • 2017 • 107 MIN • DRAMA rickshaw driver from an orthodox Brahmin family, has never HINDI, ENGLISH SUBTITLES known a woman intimately, other than the celluloid starlets dir.: Siddartha Jatla | scr.: he watches every day on the 4-inch display of his mobile Siddartha Jatla, Amanda Mooney phone. When his mother suddenly arranges a marriage | cin.: Siddartha Jatla | ed.: Siddartha for him, Shukla and his new wife face the experience of so Jatla, Amanda Mooney, Srijan many couples in Mumbai: a new marriage, no knowledge of Chaurasia | snd: Akshay Murthy, Manoj Kathe | mus.: Karl Heortweard relationships and a joint family/love nest that ofers no space | art dir.: Baji R. Patil, Vikram Singh for a conversation, much less sex. Their only respite is a line | cost.: Renuka Kadiyan | cast: Saharsh of old suitcases set up by Shukla’s father to separate them Kumar Shukla (Shukla), Taneea Rajawat from the family, a cell phone and a city of 18 million eyes. (Lakshmi), Hima Singh (Rupa), Aparna “Siddartha Jatla has lifted the veil of the delicate part Upadhyay (mother), Loknath Tiwari of Indian private life.” FIPRESCI (father) | prod.: Siddartha Jatla, Amanda Mooney “Cathartic... Disarming naturalism and charm.” Screen Magazine

SIDDARTHA JATLA is a cinematography graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India and alumnus of Asian Film Academy. His short film The Artist premiered at the Busan Film Festival in 2012. His short film Belongings, co-directed by Amanda Mooney, premiered in 2017 at Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. Self-produced on a microbudget, Love and Shukla is their first feature film. The film premiered in Busan, in 2017, and went on to receive worldwide acclaim, including the NETPAC Award at the Jogja-NETPAC Asian WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13 Film Festival. The film stars Saharsh Kumar Shukla, whose recent films include Bollywood blockbusters Raees, Rangoon, Highway and Ugly. 7 PM

10 CLOSING FILM SEEKING HAPPILY-EVER-AFTER (ANGREZI MEIN KEHTE HAIN)

Harish Vyas Sometimes, loving someone in silence is not enough and expressing that love is equally important. This is the story of CANADIAN PREMIERE Yashwant and his wife Kiran, a middle-aged couple living in INDIA • 2018 • 104 MIN • DRAMA Varanasi. A simple man, Yashwant never fully realized that HINDI, ENGLISH SUBTITLES he truly cared for the woman he was forced to marry years dir.: Harish Vyas | scr.: Harish Vyas, earlier by his family. He learns his lesson the hard way when Aryan Saha | cin.: Faroukh Mistry Kiran leaves him. Yashwant finds it difcult to live alone | ed.: Suresh Pai | snd: Girish Ramteke in a house that was once filled with chatter and laughter. | music: Praveen Kuwar, Omir Adil, Watching how his son-in-law Jugnu dotes over his daughter Ranjan Sharma | art dir.: Shankar Preeti wakes him up. He becomes aware of how Kiran Samanta | cost.: Priyanka Pandey, nurtured their life together and how he took her for granted. Sneha Sharma | cast: Sanjay Mishra So Yashwant, though far from a romantic man, embarks on (Yashwant), Ekavali Khanna (Kiran), a journey through the old lanes of Varanasi to rediscover his Shivani Raghuvanshi (Preeti), love for his wife, conquer her anew and finally say the words, Anshuman Jha (Jugnu), Pankaj Tripathi “I love you.” (Feroz) | prod.: Manav Malhotra With a background in Fine Arts, HARISH VYAS is a filmmaker with several corporate videos, short films and documentaries under his belt. He has also written screenplays for various projects. His 2014 Punjabi feature film debut, Proper Patola, received six nominations at the PTC Punjabi Film Awards, including Best Debut Director. His latest feature, Seeking Happily-Ever-After, has just been released in India. He is passionate about music, which occupies an important place in all of his films. “Sometimes, someone’s absence makes us realize the importance of their presence. This story is about me, you and all others like us who SUNDAY, JUNE 17 were late starters.” Harish Vyas 10:15 AM

11 BHASMASUR Nishil Sheth

OTTAWA PREMIERE Dhaanu, a villager heavily in ﬁnancial debt, discreetly returns to his village from the city one night. He is hiding INDIA • 2017 • 75 MIN • DRAMA from a moneylender to whom he owes a handsome sum of HINDI, ENGLISH SUBTITLES money. Backed into a corner, he decides to sell his donkey, dir.: Nishil Sheth | scr.: Raghav Dutt Bhasmasur, in the city, and fetch a good price for the animal. | cin.: Shrish Tomar | ed.: Pavan Bhat Dhaanu’s son Tipu, who yearns to go the annual fair in the | snd: Yatrik Dave | mus.: Krishna city, shares a very strong bond with Bhasmasur. In his own Purohit | cast: Imran Rasheed (Dhaanu), innocent way, Tipu tries to stop Bhasmasur from being sold, Mittal Chouhan (Tipu), Trimala Adhikari (Bua), Bhushan Vikas (Shopkeeper), but is unsuccessful. Dhaanu decides to take Tipu to the city Ravi Goswami (Bhoora) | prod.: as well. The trio set of by foot on a journey from inland Karan Kadam Rajasthan to the city. Along the way, numerous events take place, bringing the absentee father and his son closer. Will Dhaanu be able to make this newfound bond last?

NISHIL SHETH hails from Bangalore, India. He completed his engineering degree, after which he decided to pursue cinema by studying editing at Flash Frames Visuals, Bangalore, and film directing at Whistling Woods International, Mumbai. He has written, directed and edited short films and corporate videos. Bhasmasur is his first feature film. “Bhasmasur is a film about people who exist on the periphery. As we bustle through great bridges, shopping malls and fancy hotels, we rarely pay attention to someone like Dhaanu, much less think about what his life might be. Bhasmasur shows us rural India, with the backdrop of its majestic landscapes. A story of love and sacrifice.” Nishil Sheth THURSDAY, JUNE 14 9:15 PM

12 DHH Manish Saini

OTTAWA PREMIERE DHH is the heartwarming story of three friends—Gungun, Bajrang and Vakil—and of their journey towards realizing INDIA • 2017 • 128 MIN • DRAMA their true potential. An afternoon of sauntering leads them GUJARATI/HINDI, ENGLISH SUBTITLES to a magic show and leaves them awestruck. Magic, it seems, is a solution to all of their problems, including mathematics! dir.: Manish Saini | scr.: Manish Saini The boys write to the magician, asking him for a trick to | cin.: Prahlad Gopakumar | ed.: ace their exams. Days go by and times get tougher with Niraj Voralia | snd: Bishwadeep Dipak punishments at school and warnings at home. All hope is Chatterjee | art dir.: Pritesh Maru | cost.: Ganesh Ghani | mus.: lost, but one day, the magician replies at last. His letter Meghdhanush | cast: Kahaan (Gungun), arrives with a parcel that claims to hold the key to cracking Karan Patel (Vakil), Kuldeep Sodha their exams. Can this be true? In pursuit of learning from (Bajrang), Archan Trivedi (the magic, Gungun and his friends soon realize that there is a lot grandfather), Naseeruddin Shah more learning to be done from life itself. (the magician), Brijendra Kala (the Hindi teacher) | prod.: Manish Saini MANISH SAINI graduated from the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, in 2009, specializing in Film and Video. Inspired by the nuances of daily life, he has an eye for whimsy and splendour in the seemingly mundane. He aspires to tell stories that are rooted in Indian life and have a mass appeal, but that are equally thought-provoking. With a few documentary features under his belt, he makes his ﬁction feature ﬁlm debut with DHH. “Childhood is not just a time in our lives, but also a place in our minds that we often revisit. DHH takes its audience on a nostalgic journey to the days of innocence and unquestioned faith, showing that the process of learning from life is where the magic happens.” Manish Saini SATURDAY, JUNE 16 9:50 AM

13 GARDEN OF DESIRE (AEDAN) Sanju Surendran

WORLD PREMIERE A young aspiring writer and bachelor, Hari lives with his mother in the countryside. Nothing disturbs his routine INDIA • 2018 • 130 MIN • DRAMA except for his occasional chores—burying live puppies in the MALAYALAM, ENGLISH SUBTITLES backyard or fetching the veterinarian to help with the cow dir.: Sanju Surendran | scr.: S Hareesh, in labour. His only moment of excitement is the sight of the Sanju Surendran | cin.: Manesh doctor’s young wife, which ﬁlls him with hope of potential Madhavan | ed.: Sreya Chatterjee ﬂirting. He sometimes visits Peter Sir, a retired school snd: Godly Timo Koshy | art dir.: Sebin teacher and widower. Over drinks and exotic dishes, the two Thomas, Aneesh Kunjimangalam | cost.: Aravind Kr | cast: Abhilash Nair lonely men play a curious game: they cut out obituaries from (Hari), George Kurian (Peter Sir), a local newspaper, put them in a bowl and randomly pick Prasant M M (Bineesh), Nandini them out, one at a time, gambling small amounts of money Sreekumar (Neethu), Sunny P N each time. The person who picks the oldest of the deceased (Maadan Thampi) | prod.: is the winner. One day, Peter Sir recognizes two men among Murali Mattummal the obituaries. Their deaths tell entirely diferent tales— one of murder, one of love.

SANJU SURENDRAN is a graduate of the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. At the Institute, he studied under legendary filmmaker Mani Kaul. Sanju did a brief stint as a teacher of Film Direction and Screenwriting at the KR Narayanan National Institute of Visual Science and Arts in Kottayam, Kerala. His documentary on Kutiyattam, Kapila, won the 62nd National Award for Best Documentary. Sanju’s first feature film, Garden of Desire won the Rajathachakoram Award for Best Debut Director and the FIPRESCI Prize for Best Malayalam Film at the 22nd International Film Festival of Kerala, India.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13 7 PM

14 THE LOTTERY (CHUMBAK) Sandeep Modi

CANADIAN PREMIERE The Lottery is the coming-of-age story of 15-year-old Baalu, a Mumbai waiter-boy, who stands at a crossroads. Baalu INDIA • 2017 • 104 MIN • DRAMA dreams of escaping his wretched life by creating a small MARATHI, ENGLISH SUBTITLES business of his own: a sugarcane juice stall, near his village’s dir.: Sandeep Modi | scr.: Saurabh public bus stop. Desperate and broke, having exhausted Bhave, Sandeep Modi | cin.: Rangarajan all options, Baalu makes a plan with his street-smart friend Ramabadran | ed.: Chandrashekhar Disco to put together the money the only way they can Prajapati | snd: Allwin Rego, Sanjay think of, by using the infamous “Nigerian SMS Scam.” Maurya | art dir.: Prashant Bidkar | cost.: Sachin Lovelakar | mus.: Saket However, only one man falls for their text message: the poor, Kanetkar | cast: Sahil Jadhav mentally-challenged Prasanna, who unexpectedly travels (Bhalchandra Shevale, aka Baalu), to Mumbai from the countryside to collect his supposed Swanand Kirkire (Prasanna Thombre), lottery winnings. Caught between his guilty conscience of Sangram Desai (Dhananjay More, ﬂeecing such an innocent man and the greed of fulﬁlling his aka Disco) | prod.: Naren Kumar ambitions, between his personal aspirations and his sense of moral duty, Baalu now has to make a choice. The Lottery tells the story of these choices, which will shape Baalu’s life.

Mumbai-based filmmaker SANDEEP MODI is an alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. He writes from his experience growing up in the ever-churning belly of Mumbai and its class divide. He prefers observing to reading or watching, making his own impression of life around him. His short film Best Friends Forever won him the prestigious National Film Award in 2015. The Lottery is his debut feature. “They say that, at first, we make the choices and, then, the choices make us. The Lottery is a story about the constant battle within us, THURSDAY, JUNE 14 between our morality and ambition. The film explores human 7 PM nature and the forces that sometimes overcome us and that we, sometimes, overcome.” Sandeep Modi 15 THREE AND A HALF (TEEN AUR AADHA) Dar Gai

CANADIAN PREMIERE Three and a Half is the story of one building in three diferent eras. Fifty years ago, the building was divided between a INDIA/UKRAINE • 2018 • 120 MIN school and an apartment, in which a young boy struggled DRAMA • HINDI/MARATHI/ENGLISH, ENGLISH SUBTITLES with the pressures of pre-pubescent school life. Twenty years later, the same building became home to a brothel, where dir.: Dar Gai | scr.: Dar Gai | cin.: a young concubine dealt with her “ﬁrst” client. Now, thirty Aakash Raj | ed.: Shubham Mehta, years later, these same walls are inhabited by a soul-stirring Sanjana Vasudevan | snd: Rakshit old married couple who love, laugh and dance together, Thantry | art dir.: Madhur Madhavan | cost.: Lovedeep Gulyani | mus.: remembering times past. • Three and a Half takes a unique, Vivienne Mort | cast: Jim Sarbh non-traditional approach to storytelling, as the entire feature (Natraj), Suhasini Mulay (Woman), ﬁlm is made of only three 43-minute sequence shots, but it M.K. Raina (Man), Arya Dave (Raj), is the depth and magic of the narrative that truly fascinates. Zoya Hussain (Sulekha), Anjum Rajabali The story is told from the perspective of the walls of the (Grandfather) | prod.: Dheer Momaya house, which are witness to all the struggles and successes that encompass human life.

A Ukraine-born theatre actress with a Master in Philosophy, DAR GAI (Daria Gaikalova) was invited to India to direct a play at the Scindia School, Gwalior, and teach screenwriting and film appreciation at Whistling Woods International, Mumbai. She never left and has since been writing and directing feature films, television shows, commercials, short films and music videos in India. Three and a Half is her first narrative feature. She is currently finishing post-production for her second feature, Namdev Bhau. “Having lived in Mumbai for a while, I’ve explored the old town extensively, with its colonial and post-colonial buildings. It struck me FRIDAY, JUNE 15 that these walls have stories to tell, but not everybody is listening. 4 PM This is how Three and a Half came to life.” Dar Gai

16 TO LET Chezhiyan Ra

CANADIAN PREMIERE Based on real-life events, To Let is set in 2007 against the backdrop of the booming IT industry in Chennai, South India. INDIA • 2017 • 99 MIN • DRAMA At the time, the city went through a construction boom, with TAMIL, ENGLISH SUBTITLES multi-storied residential apartments spurting up everywhere dir.: Chezhiyan Ra | scr.: Chezhiyan Ra to meet the needs of the fast-increasing IT personnel coming cin.: Chezhiyan Ra | ed.: A. Sreekar into Chennai. Unfortunately, their fat salaries raised house Prasad | snd: Tapas Nayak | art dir.: rents, making them less afordable for the majority of Chezhiyan Ra | cast: Santhosh Sreeram white-collar workers from other sectors. To Let tells the story (Ilango), Suseela (Amudha), Dharun (Siddarth) | prod.: Prema Chezhiyan of 33-year-old Hindu Ilanko, his Christian wife Amudha and their 5-year-old son Siddharth. Their aspirations are modest: Siddarth likes drawing, Mom likes gardening, while Dad tries to break into the ﬁlm industry. Their landlady, greedy for a higher rent, shows them out the door. With only 30 days to ﬁnd new housing with their modest, middle-class income, they climb onto their mopeds, racing against the clock and facing all kinds of prejudices.

Working primarily in the Tamil film industry, CHEZHIYAN RA has over nine features under his belt as a cinematographer. His camera work in Paradesi won the Best Cinematography Award at the 2013 London International Filmmaker Festival. As a writer and poet, he is the acclaimed author of the Tamil cinema book series Ulaga cinema and his short story Harmoniam received the KATHA Award. The winner of 18 international awards since its 2017 release, To Let is his feature debut as a director. “Opportunistic landlords exploited the housing boom. The working WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13 class was hit the hardest. Thousands of tenants wandered the summer 9:20 PM streets with their children to find new homes. As a witness, I wanted to make a film without any compromises.” Chezhiyan Ra 17 W/O RAM Vijay Yelakanti

WORLD PREMIERE NGO worker Deeksha investigates the mysterious murder of her husband. In doing so, she evolves drastically and INDIA • 2018 • 115 MIN • DRAMA painfully, pushing herself far out of her comfort zone to seek TELUGU, ENGLISH SUBTITLES justice. Can she survive a vastly unkind world all by herself? dir.: Vijay Yelakanti | scr.: Sundeep Ganta | cin.: Samala Bhasker | ed.: “In 2012, in Delhi, a 23-year-old woman was brutally beaten, Bikkina Thammiraju | art dir.: gang-raped and tortured on a private bus. Known as Deep Bhimajiyani | mus.: Raghu Dixit Nirbhaya (‘fearless’), she succumbed to her injuries 13 days | cast: Lakshmi Manchu (Deeksha), after the incident. Nirbhaya’s battle to survive, and the Samrat (Ram), Adarsh (Rocky), horrifying injustice she was subjected to, inspired a nation Priyadarshi (Chary), Srikanth Iyengar towards awakening. The incident shook humanity’s beliefs, (Satyam) | prod.: T.G. Vishwa Prasad, scarring the spirit of the people—including me. Five years Lakshmi Manchu later, I had the power at last to express my long-hidden anguish with W/O Ram (i.e. Wife Of Ram). The movie captures the raw reality of a woman’s struggle with incivility and outrageously monstrous behaviour (particularly from disrespectful and manipulative men with a motive) in modern society.” Vijay Yelakanti

An architect turned filmmaker, VIJAY YELAKANTI returned to India after getting his MS in Construction Management from Michigan State University, USA. Needing to express his creative side, he studied film direction and screenwriting at Ramanaidu Film School, India. His first experience of film sets was as an assistant director on Eega and Baahubali. He has written corporate video concepts for Harvard’s HBX Online and John Frieda. He has also directed Horlick’s Awesome Squad campaign (dubbed into 7 languages), the television THURSDAY, JUNE 14 series Om City and several commercials. He met his star of W/O Ram, 8:40 PM well-known actress and producer Lakshmi Manchu, on the set of an ad for Kalanjali. W/O Ram is his feature debut as a director. 18 THE DEATH FEAST (MRITYUBHOJ) Akanksha Sood Singh

CANADIAN PREMIERE Hindus celebrate the remembrance ritual of “Mrityubhoj,” the “Death Feast,” on the 13th day after a cremation, to help the INDIA • 2017 • 52 MIN soul find heaven. During this event, a lavish meal is served to DOCUMENTARY • HINDI, ENGLISH SUBTITLES 13 Brahmins, followed by donations to the temple—all in the hope of bringing blessings to the departed. The feast then dir.: Akanksha Sood Singh | cin.: extends to relatives, neighbours and the entire village. Today, Sanjiv “Goose” Monga, Rakesh Mrityubhoj has become a status symbol for families. Even Rana | ed.: Sanjiv “Goose” Monga, the poorest are compelled to organize large death feasts, Tenzin Kunchok | snd: Sanjiv “Goose” Monga | mus.: detrimental to their well-being. Set in the Chambal belt of Soumadeep Sen | prod.: the Western Uttar Pradesh state, India, the film uses Praveen Singh a fly-on-the-wall approach to follow a man organizing a death feast for his father. The film captures one son’s predicament as he is caught between two types of pressure, that of tradition and society on one side and, on the other, that of activists trying to stop this pernicious practice.

With over 16 years of experience that covers the breadth of film production, AKANKSHA SOOD SINGH has developed and honed her skills in extremely high-pressure, high-demand situations, from jungle settings to tentpole features, from crafting scripts to negotiating complex acquisitions and co-productions. These skills now also include producing and directing her own films. Akanksha’s films have been broadcast on networks such as BBC, National Geographic, Discovery, Animal Planet, PBS, Public TS Taiwan, KBS South Korea, Arte, Channel 4 and NHK. She was selected as a preliminary judge for the 2018 International Emmy® Awards. She also won the 61st National SATURDAY, JUNE 16 Film Award, given by the President of India, for her directorial debut, 11 AM The Pad Piper, in 2014.

19 LIMITLESS Vrinda Samartha

CANADIAN PREMIERE For an Indian woman, identity is a very elusive thing. Who she is, is often defined by her family, shaped by her children INDIA • 2017 • 57 MIN and lost in the haze of accommodating others. Her health, DOCUMENTARY • ENGLISH hope and dreams take a beating. Before she knows it, she dir.: Vrinda Samartha | cin.: becomes a mere shadow of her true self. Limitless explores Siddhartha Nuni | ed.: Abhro Banerjee the lives of eight long-distance runners, all female, who | snd: Anand Krishnamurthy | mus.: rediscovered themselves through running. It is a film that Vasu Dixit | prod.: Prashant Varma reveals their insecurities, bruised body image, battered self-confidence and guilt at accepting that they, too, need some me-time. This is the story of women who have reached the edge of their boundaries and pushed beyond them bravely—and discovered that only the sky is the limit. “The uptick in women taking up running in India is recent. It is a form of resistance against the patriarchal structures and a celebration of multifaceted notions of freedom. Limitless captures that.” Vrinda Samartha

VRINDA SAMARTHA enjoys experimenting and constantly creating new narrative styles. She finds raw and real characters and stories most appealing and powerful. She started as an assistant director in Trends Ad Films, where she worked under National Award winner VK Prakash. Since then, she has worked on many national and international campaigns and feature films. She has also acted in the Kannada film Aidondla Aidu. Limitless is her first feature documentary as a director. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 13 “Limitless follows the stories of eight women who have something 9 PM greater at stake than simply running to exercise. Even if their aims are not explicitly political, they are shedding deep rooted bias and conditioning, layer by layer. They are reclaiming public spaces by 20 resisting the notion of risk.” Vrinda Samartha BELOVED THE HOMESTAY (JAAN JIGGAR) Priyanka Mattoo Ranjan Chandel

A morning of romance, quibbles and a lot of A sheltered Indian couple visit their son in the firsts for two teenagers from Northern India United States for the first time and bungle their who decide to meet up to share their first kiss. apartment rental, ending up in close quarters A sweet tale set against the backdrop of the with their hosts, a gay couple and their dog. current sociopolitical climate. PRIYANKA MATTOO is a comedy writer and director First-time filmmaker RANJAN CHANDEL was assistant in Los Angeles. A former agent at UTA and WME, she director on Anurag Kashyap’s Psycho Raman 2.0 and was also Jack Black’s partner at Electric Dynamite cowrote the screenplay for Kashyap’s Mukkabaaz. for five years. Beloved just won Best Debut Film at the Mumbai International Film Festival. USA • 2017 • 12 MIN COMEDY • ENGLISH INDIA • 2017 • 19 MIN • DRAMA dir.: Priyanka Mattoo | scr.: Priyanka HINDI, ENGLISH SUBTITLES Mattoo | cast: Meera Syal, Bernard dir.: Ranjan Chandel | scr.: Ranjan White, Max Jenkins, Ravi Patel, Chandel | cast: Shivani Raghuvanshi, Sujata Day, Gabe Delahaye | prod.: Ashutosh Sohan Gupta | prod.: Ursula Camack Ranjan Singh, Tanvi Gandhir SATURDAY, JUNE 16 SATURDAY, JUNE 16 10 AM 10 AM

21 MOTHER PLEASE DON’T (AMMA, MERI) CALL THE COPS Tarun Jain Kartikye Gupta

When Balram finds out that he will have access An arranged marriage brings beautiful Maya to the money in his mother’s account only after into God-fearing Indian engineer Nikhil’s life her death, he begins to think of it as the only —only she turns out to be a kleptomaniac… solution to all his problems. A reflection on The only way for him to save both his wife the plight of farmers in India today. and his marriage is going to be the biggest adventure of his life. TARUN JAIN’s short film At Last (Aakhir) was shown in over 42 international film festivals and broadcasted Born in Bhopal and based in Los Angeles, filmmaker in the U.S. and Europe. Mother is his latest film. He is KARTIKYE GUPTA has directed or edited several currently writing his first feature, Dauran. award-winning short films that have been shown around the world, including Dr. Elevator and Fast Girls. INDIA • 2017 • 30 MIN • DRAMA HINDI, ENGLISH SUBTITLES USA • 2016 • 15 MIN • COMEDY/DRAMA dir.: Tarun Jain | scr.: Tarun Jain HINDI/ENGLISH, ENGLISH SUBTITLES cast: Anurag Arora, Raghubir Mann, dir.: Kartikye Gupta | scr.: Piyush Diksha Lamba | prod.: Tarun Jain Deshmukh, Cody Smart | cast: Piyush Deshmukh, Rachel Kamath, SATURDAY, JUNE 16 Demetris Yiorkatzis, Chicago Jones 10 AM | prod.: Nikola Nikolovski, Apurva Agarwal, Hani Alqattan, Kartikye Gupta

SATURDAY, JUNE 16 10 AM

22 SOUND PROOF Aditya Kelgaonkar

A young divorced woman, Sana, rents an apartment in Mumbai, hoping for a new independent life. Instead, she ﬁnds herself caught in a maze of peculiar occurrences. A cinematic allegory using mystery as a form of comment on the times we live in.

A writer and cinematographer from Maharashtra, ADITYA KELGAONKAR has worked on several features. Since 2014, he has been giving workshops at the NFDC Directors’ Lab. He is currently working on his ﬁrst feature in Marathi.

INDIA • 2017 • 19 MIN • DRAMA HINDI, ENGLISH SUBTITLES dir.: Aditya Kelgaonkar | scr.: Aditya Kelgaonkar | cast: Soha Ali Khan, Vinay Pathak, Uday Chandra | prod.: Shoaib Lokhandwala

SATURDAY, JUNE 16 10 AM

23 NOW OPEN! 3567 Paul Anka Dr. Ottawa, Ontario SPECIAL EVENTS

Festival Centrepiece: In the Shadows (Gali Guliyaan) ...... 26 Meet & Greet with Festival Guests including YouTuber Rupan Bal ...... 28 Special Screening: With This Ring ...... 29 Bollywood Poster Competition for Youths ...... 30 48-hour Short Film Challenge ...... 31 OIFFA City ...... 33 Closing Night Gala & Awards ...... 35 FESTIVAL CENTREPIECE IN THE SHADOWS (GALI GULIYAAN) Dipesh Jain

First-time feature filmmaker DIPESH JAIN’s In the Shadows has impressed at every step of its evolution. The film attracted an international team of award-winning artisans to give it life, including cinematographer Kai Miedendorp, casting director Dilip Shankar, costume designer Sujata Sharma, sound designer Bob Kellough as well as the legendary studio Skywalker Sound. It also captured the imagination of an exceptional cast, led by one of India’s most cherished character actors, Manoj Bajpayee (see sidebar). His heartbreaking portrayal of schizophrenic Khuddoos has left audiences breathless In the Shadows is a unique film in the current Indian everywhere the film was shown and his performance cinematic landscape. Shot on location in the narrow alleys alone is reason enough to watch the film—but there is of Old Delhi, it captures the essence of the space, creating another! Extraordinary 14-year-old Om, a runaway living a dark tone and mood, both dreamy and starkly real. on the streets of Delhi, was chosen among 1,000 boys for Borders between worlds are blurred as we dive deeper the demanding role of Idris. A natural-born actor in his into Khuddoos’ mind. Using silence and minimal music to very first film, Om ofers a nuanced performance that is heighten its oppressive ambience, In the Shadows also just as striking as his veteran on-screen partner Bajpayee. paints a very diferent filmic experience than what we’ve come to expect from the loud explosions of colour and “The seeds of In the Shadows were planted many years music of mainstream Indian cinema. ago. As a kid, I used to visit my grandfather in the walled city. He lived in the same house all his life, never once Giving life to his dream of directing strong, character- went out of the alleys. My father would say ‘People living driven films, Dipesh Jain (a graduate of the prestigious in Old Delhi are trapped there forever.’ Those words got USC Film School) has crafted a stunning first feature, etched in my mind. Then, researching another project, steeped in a singularly hypnotic atmosphere, talking I found out that adults with a history of child abuse about real, deeply afecting people. So impressive was were more prone to developing schizophrenia, trapped the film that it premiered simultaneously, on the same in fear all their lives. There was my story: a fictional day in October 2017, at two prestigious international film narrative about a pressing social issue—child abuse—that festivals, Busan and Mumbai. It won the Grand Jury Award addressed my personal fears.” Dipesh Jain in Mumbai.

26 FOCUS ON MANOJ BAJPAYEE One of India’s most respected actors, Bihar-State- born Manoj Pajpayee has graced the big screen for nearly 25 years. Since his minor role in Shekar Khapur’s landmark Bandit Queen in 1994, he has appeared in over 80 films, including Kaun (1999), Zubeidaa (2001), Raajneeti (2010), Gangs of Wasseypur (Cannes 2012) and Aligarh (Busan 2016). Though his career struggled commercially in the first decade of the new millenium, the constancy of his strong performances and his bold acting choices continued to endear him with critics, who consistently called SYNOPSIS him “mesmeric”, “authentic” and “exceptional” Old Delhi, the walled city. A maze of interconnected —and his hard work has paid of tenfold over alleys running through a cluster of centuries-old the past decade. houses. Khuddoos lives in this maze, a lonely man His versatility is remarkable, switching efortlessly who obsessively watches people through his hidden from drama to comedy, historical to contemporary, cameras. He begins to search for a boy, Idris, whom playing sadistic killers, ruthless politicans, he hears getting beaten up through the walls of his intellectual professors and ordinary men with the house. As the boy’s condition worsens, Khuddoos same ease. The hallmarks of his career are a love starts to lose his grip on time and reality… In the of complex, unconventional roles and a desire to Shadows is the story of a man trapped within the embrace risky, diverse works from both mainstream cinema and independent auteurs. walls of an old city and his own mind, who attempts to break free and find a human connection. A recipient of two National Film Awards, India’s most prestigious honour, Bajpayee won the Silver Lotus Award for Best Supporting Actor for Satya in OTTAWA PREMIERE 1999, his breakthrough role, and the Special Jury INDIA/UK • 2017 • 117 MIN Award for Best Actor for in 2003. He also Pinjar PSYCHOLOGICAL DRAMA won multiple Filmfare Awards, India’s oldest film HINDI/ENGLISH, distinction. A star of the Hindi film industry, he also ENGLISH SUBTITLES works in Tamil and Telegu. An exceptional character actor, he has just completed Love Sonia with dir.: Dipesh Jain | scr.: Dipesh Jain | cast: Freida Pinto. Manoj Bajpayee (Khuddoos), Om (Idris), Ranvir Shorey (Ganeshi), Neeraj Kabi (Liakat), Shahana Goswami (Saira) | prod.: Dipesh Jain, Shuchi Jain, Lena Vurma

FRIDAY, JUNE 15 4 PM

27 MEET & GREET WITH FESTIVAL GUESTS with Guest Star YouTuber Rupan Bal

OIFFA happily welcomes famous Indian-Canadian YouTube star Rupan Bal as headliner of its ﬁrst Meet & Greet. Born Rupanjit Singh in India, Rupan was raised in Brampton, Ontario. What surely would have been a stellar career as a criminologist didn’t last very long: shortly after graduating from Guelph University with his degree, he quickly rose to fame appearing in fellow Canadian-Punjabi comic JusReign’s comedy videos on YouTube. He cemented his rising star status playing a stereotypical angry Punjabi mother with the perfect comedic pitch and timing. He is currently mostly working as an actor in Punjabi movies, including 2015’s The Last King, which he also co-produced. Rupan is excited to plunge into the efervescence of OIFFA City to meet with his fans and other Festival guests.

WHEN? SATURDAY, JUNE 16 6:30 AM WHERE? OIFFA CITY (ABERDEEN SQUARE, OPPOSITE CINEPLEX CINEMAS) Register to get your FREE ticket at oifa.com

28 SPECIAL SCREENING WITH THIS RING Ameesha Joshi, Anna Sarkissian

OTTAWA PREMIERE Filmed over the course of six years, With This Ring follows the meteoric rise of three Indian women—Mary Kom, CANADA • 2016 Chhoto Loura and Sarita Devi—who sidestep traditional 90 MIN • DOCUMENTARY HINDI/MANIPURI/ENGLISH, roles to become world champion boxers. Worried that ENGLISH SUBTITLES boxing will disﬁgure their faces and hurt their chances of getting married, their parents are reluctant to embrace their dir./prod.: Ameesha Joshi, chosen careers. Facing pressure to conform, the women test Anna Sarkissian boundaries as they become the primary wage earners in their families. While the team dominates at world championships, they continue to train in oblivion in India. Boxing becomes their lifeline, their source of income, their community, and ultimately what rips them apart.

Filmmakers AMEESHA JOSHI, a Toronto native, and Montreal-born ANNA SARKISSIAN are both graduates of Concordia University, in Montreal. In November 2006, they traveled to India on a shoestring budget to witness history in the making. For two months, they documented the events surrounding the 4th World Women’s Boxing Competition in Delhi, where the Indian team made a clean sweep and was crowned the number one team in the world. Ameesha and Anna continued to follow them over six years, up until the 2012 London Olympics. The post-production process was extensive, logging, translating and categorizing 200 hours of footage. Gemini-award-winning editor Jackie Dzuba helped them complete their labour of love, 10 years in the making, in January 2016. With This Ring premiered at the Mumbai International Film Festival THURSDAY, JUNE 14 and has been shown in over 15 festivals all over the world. With its 6:50 AM OIFFA Special Screening, the ﬁlm comes at last to Ottawa.

29 BOLLYWOOD POSTER COMPETITION FOR YOUTHS With the 1st Bollywood Poster Competition for Youths, OIFFA is very happy to present its very ﬁrst family-oriented activity.

This drawing competition is open to children, tweens and teenagers aged from 7 to 16. Participants will compete in two separate age groups. Group 1 (ages 7 to 11) will be asked to draw a poster of how they imagine a Bollywood film OR how they imagine OIFFA as an Indian film festival taking place in Ottawa. Group 2 (ages 12 to 16) will have to draw a poster for one of the most famous Bollywood films ever, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, aka DDLJ. Participants will have two hours to create the most sensational movie poster ever. A jury of two art-world professionals—Pooja Grover, Fine Artist/ Mindfulness Practitioner, and Christina Lovisa, Fine Artist/CEO and Founder of Hello Studios by lovISart—will choose the winning poster in each age group. The winners will receive a cash prize of $200 each and will be invited to attend the Closing Night Gala & Awards with their parents. WHEN? SATURDAY, JUNE 16 2:30 PM WHERE? OIFFA CITY, in the OIFFA tent (ABERDEEN SQUARE, OPPOSITE CINEPLEX CINEMAS) The event is FREE! Parents are simply asked to register their participating children online at oifa.com/submission/ And don’t forget to bring colour pencils, pencil sharpener and sheets of paper!

30 48-HOUR SHORT FILM CHALLENGE 2018 marks the very ﬁrst oﬃcial OIFFA 48-Hour Short Film Challenge

The Challenge itself took place the weekend preceding the Festival’s Opening, from Friday, June 8, at 8 pm, to Sunday, June 10, at 8 pm. Registered filmmakers were required to produce a short film—write, shoot, edit and deliver!—in exactly 48 hours. Their only obligations? Follow the three parameters given to them: a theme, a specific length and a specific Indian- related cultural reference. Those were provided at the very last minute, on the night of the Challenge launch. This type of thrilling, speed-filmmaking session is a tried and tested afair in the industry among young up-and-coming filmmakers, and OIFFA can’t wait to see how the participants put their Indian twist into their works. All the films produced during the Challenge will be presented on the big screen during the Festival. The screening will be open to the public (see information below for tickets). A jury of two professional film reviewers and critics— Keith Whittier from Ottawa Life Magazine and Montréal-based Claire Valade from Panorama-cinéma—will view all the films and name one winner and one runner-up. The winner will go home with a $2,000 cash prize and see his winning film screened at OIFFA’s prestigious Closing Night Gala & Awards. The runner-up will receive $500. Both winner and runner-up will also be invited to attend the Gala.

SCREENING OF THE FILMS

WHEN? SATURDAY, JUNE 16 10 AM WHERE? CINEPLEX CINEMAS LANSDOWNE & VIP (325 MARCHÉ WAY, UNIT 107) To buy your tickets, visit oifa.com

CITY INDIAN EXTRAVAGANZA BOLLYWOOD MUSIC & DANCE INDIAN FOOD FRIDAY, JUNE 15 • 6:30 – 10 PM SATURDAY, JUNE 16 • 5:30 – 10 PM plus at 6:30 pm on Saturday only: MEET & GREET WITH FESTIVAL GUESTS including YouTuber Rupan Bal (see page 28)

ABERDEEN SQUARE, LANSDOWNE PARK REGISTER TO GET YOUR FREE TICKET AT oifa.com 33

CLOSING NIGHT GALA & AWARDS

The evening will be hosted by MAJIC 100’s very own KATHERINE DINES. OIFFA is just the spot for her to express her passion for using ﬁlm, music and storytelling to build stronger cultural experiences.

AWAITING GUESTS FOR THIS EXCITING EVENING OF REVELRIES WILL BE… • A welcome cocktail • A bufet with the most exquisite Indian food in Ottawa, courtesy of Ishina Distinguished Indian Cuisine • Bollywood dance performances • A screening of OIFFA’s 1st 48-Hour Short Film Challenge winning ﬁlm • The Award Ceremony of the 2018 OIFFA Ofcial Competition

WHEN? SUNDAY, JUNE 17 6:30 AM WHERE? INFINITY CONVENTION CENTRE 2901 GIBFORD DRIVE, OTTAWA, ON K1V 2L9

FOR TICKETS & TICKET INFORMATION oifa.com 35 pMjwbI Awvwz C

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K Not your average venue OTTAWA’S NEWEST CONVENTION CENTRE

Infinity Convention Centre is the perfect location for successful, worry-free conferences and corporate events. Our vibrant multi-use facility features 15,000 sq. ft. of configurable space with 3 individual meeting rooms, breakout rooms, 23’ high ceilings, and capacity for up to 1,450 people. With presentation equipment packages, a dedicated on-site management team, and flexible menu options, Infinity Convention Centre has everything needed to create a place where ideas happen.

• Corporate events • Receptions/Awards • Conferences • Charity Events/Fundraisers • Tradeshows • Close to Ottawa International Airport • Company Parties • Adjacent to 3 hotels

2901 Gibford Drive, Ottawa, ON, K1V 2L9 613.696.1580 infinityconventioncentre.com oifa.com