2013 - India Independent Films

‘Monsoon Shootout’ Review

By IIF|2013-12-06T11:39:34+00:00December 5th, 2013|Film Festivals, movies we loved, reviews|

The 10th anniversary of HBO's South Asian International Film Festival kicked off with a bang, and then another, and then another. Not sure what I mean? Well when you watch Amit Kumar's "Monsoon Shootout" you'll understand. But for now you'll have to settle with my review. The films explores the ramifications of a single confrontation in three distinct ways. Adi (Vijay Varma),a young cop in his first days on the field, is faced with a choice when he confronts an infamous gangster named Shiva (Nawazuddin Siddiqui). Should he shoot the man or let him live? Director Amit Kumar explores the [...]

In Conversation with the guys behind SAIFF

By IIF|2013-11-12T12:44:08+00:00November 12th, 2013|Awards, Brown Hollywood, Film Festivals, Interviews, SAIFF 2012|

The South Asian International Film Festival (SAIFF) is going to celebrate it's 10th anniversary this year. The program has come a long way since 2003. It's gained a sponsorship from HBO and even withstood a hurricane. This year, the festival will run from December 3rd through December 8th. In honor of it's 10th year, I had the chance to sit down with Festival Founder Shilen Amin and Program Director Galen Rosenthal to discuss where SAIFF has been and where it's going. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=laUWC_zqGTw iiF: How has the festival changed and improved in its 10th year? Shilen Amin: It's definitely gotten easier to [...]

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Confessions from Brown Hollywood with Reena Dutt

By IIF|2013-11-12T12:22:55+00:00September 22nd, 2013|Brown Hollywood, CSAFF, Film Festivals, Interviews, movies we loved, SAIFF 2012|

Reena Dutt is an incredibly talented human being. She's a producer, writer, director, actor and superhero. I'm not kidding. Dutt has been involved in some of iiF's favorite projects, one of which just screened at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival (CSAFF) this weekend. Yes you guessed it, she is a producer of "...Or Die" and "Squad 85." As an actress she's been in television shows like "Medium", "Out of Practice", and "Criminal Minds." In fact, she even just shot a pilot for A&E. As far as directing and producing goes, her credits include "Snapshot!", "El Doctor", "June, Adrift" and [...]

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Confessions from Brown Hollywood with Gregory Bonsignore

By IIF|2013-09-22T12:39:17+00:00September 20th, 2013|Brown Hollywood, CSAFF, Film Festivals, Interviews, movies we loved, SAIFF 2012|

It is no secret that iiF loves the short film "...Or Die", (co-directed by Gregory Bonsignore and John Petaja) which won the Audience Award at the HBO South Asian Film Festival last year. In fact, we're pretty sure our review is longer than the movie itself. Thankfully, that didn't discourage writer and co-director Gregory Bonsignore from talking to us about the film. Greg is one of the nicest and funniest guys you're likely to meet (and I've only met him once!). He's a fantastic writer with credits that include shows like "Lie to me", "Three Rivers" and "Homeland" (where he's a script coordinator). [...]

Aziz Ansari dominates the James Franco Roast

By IIF|2013-09-04T13:37:35+00:00September 4th, 2013|Brown Hollywood|

"There are more Indians with sitcoms now than 7-11's. My last three roles were Randy, Chet and Tom." - Aziz Ansari at the James Franco Roast. Kevin Winter/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images I don't think everyone is racist when it comes to Indians. I just think they get lazy with their material. There have been jokes and stereotypes over the last couple of decades that have persisted for various reasons. Indians run conveniences stores, smell funny and look like apes. Hilarious right? Well a bunch of people roasting James Franco on Monday night found some of those exact stereotypes, [...]

In conversation with the geniuses behind ‘Farah Goes Bang’ (Part 3)

By IIF|2013-09-04T13:38:45+00:00August 27th, 2013|Awards, Brown Hollywood, Film Festivals, Interviews, movies we loved, Tribeca Film Festival|

A while back, I had the distinct pleasure of catching up with the lovely ladies behind the Tribeca sensation, “Farah Goes Bang.” Writer/Director Meera Menon and Writer/Producer Laura Goode shed light on women in film, brown people, virginity and even carnivals during our discussion. I was hoping to put the entire interview in one post, but I think we had too much fun talking for close to an hour. I also thought 3,000 words in one page would be overkill. So here is the final part of this fantastic conversation. Part three discusses the race and gender questions that went [...]

In conversation with the geniuses behind ‘Farah Goes Bang’ (Part 2)

By IIF|2013-09-04T13:39:23+00:00August 27th, 2013|Awards, Brown Hollywood, Interviews, Tribeca Film Festival|

A while back, I had the distinct pleasure of catching up with the lovely ladies behind the Tribeca sensation, “Farah Goes Bang.” Writer/Director Meera Menon and Writer/Producer Laura Goode shed light on women in film, brown people, virginity and even carnivals during our discussion. I was hoping to put the entire interview in one post, but I think we had too much fun talking for close to an hour. I also thought 3,000 words in one page would be overkill. So I’m going to ease you all into this fantastic conversation. Part two reveals how Laura and Meera got the [...]

‘Kumaré’ Review

By IIF|2013-09-04T13:41:49+00:00August 21st, 2013|movies we loved, reviews|

Kumaré is available on Netflix, iTunes, Amazon Instant Video, among other streaming video sources. Visit the website www.kumaremovie.com for more info. Kumaré is a slightly twisted story that unravels into an emotionally trying ending about a disenchanted, suspicious young director and his search for some kind of truth. The movie features the director, Vikram Gandhi, as a disgruntled man whose experiences with the new-age yoga and spiritual teachings have been far less than satisfying. After numerous experiences in search of a more profound truth in the US and India, Vikram takes a different approach than normal. Instead of following the beaten [...]

In conversation with the geniuses behind ‘Farah Goes Bang’ (Part 1)

By IIF|2013-09-04T13:45:09+00:00July 3rd, 2013|Awards, Brown Hollywood, Film Festivals, Interviews, movies we loved, Tribeca Film Festival, upcoming movies|

A while back, I had the distinct pleasure of catching up with the lovely ladies behind the Tribeca sensation, "Farah Goes Bang." Writer/Director Meera Menon and Writer/Producer Laura Goode shed light on women in film, brown people, virginity and even carnivals during our discussion. I was hoping to put the entire interview in one post, but I think we had too much fun talking for close to an hour. I also thought 3,000 words in one page would be overkill. So I'm going to ease you all into this fantastic conversation. Part one reveals how Laura and Meera came together [...]

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Confessions from Brown Hollywood with Faroukh Virani (Director of the upcoming film ‘Vimana’)

By IIF|2013-09-04T13:45:51+00:00May 31st, 2013|Brown Hollywood, crowdfunding, Interviews, upcoming movies|

A little over a month ago, I had the chance to talk with USC film student Faroukh Virani, the director of the recently Kickstarted Indian science fiction film "Vimana." The movie, which is tentatively scheduled for an early 2014 release, is Virani's thesis project. Here is the synopsis from the Kickstarter page: "Vimana" is a film about three Indian astronauts who are a product of India's ambitious new deep-space program. Set in the near future, the astronauts are on a one-way trip to a distant planet, Gliese. Unfortunately, the ship's captain, Rishi, passes away after an adverse reaction to the [...]

Tribeca Review: ‘Farah Goes Bang’

By IIF|2013-09-04T13:46:39+00:00May 20th, 2013|Awards, Brown Hollywood, Film Festivals, movies we loved, reviews, Tribeca Film Festival, upcoming movies|

I have a confession to make. I've struggled a lot with this review. Not because my reaction to Meera Menon's feature debut was inconclusive. Quite the contrary. I knew I loved this movie the second the credits started rolling. In fact, I think I actually like it too much. As a result I refrained from writing about it for a long time. Maybe I thought I had too much to say, not enough to say or just not the right things to say. Either way, I've floundered long enough. Kandis Erickson, Nikohl Boosheri and Kiran Deol in "Farah Goes [...]

Interview with the cast and crew of ‘Daadi’

By IIF|2013-09-04T13:47:10+00:00May 9th, 2013|Brown Hollywood, Film Festivals, Interviews, movies we loved, NYIFF, Uncategorized|

Check out our video interview with the cast and crew of 'Daadi', including director David Andrew Stoler, producer and actor Purva Bedi, and actor Shelle Davis, at the New York Indian Film Festival! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Hegop7Gvss&feature=youtu.be

‘Anumati’ Review

By IIF|2022-08-19T11:22:31+00:00May 8th, 2013|Uncategorized|

"Anumati", directed by Gajendra Ahire, was the winner of Best Feature Film at the 2013 New York Indian Film Festival, as well as Vikram Gokhle winning for Best Actor for his performance as the main character, Ratnakar. Courtesy of http://marathimoviemarketing.com Loss of a loved one is very difficult for many to undergo, and it is no surprise. The process can be heartwrenching, watching one's health deteriorate in front of one's eyes, witnessing the pain and struggle firsthand. Alternatively, the shock of a sudden loss can thrust one into an alternate reality, with the defense mechanisms of denial and [...]

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Tribeca Review: ‘The Patience Stone’

By IIF|2013-09-04T13:48:32+00:00May 8th, 2013|Film Festivals, reviews, Tribeca Film Festival, upcoming movies|

"The Patience Stone", originally a novel by Afghan director Atiq Rahimi, tells the story of a Muslim woman taking care of her husband who was put into a coma after being shot in the neck. He can't move or speak and his wife slowly becomes overwhelmed as she takes care of him, her children and also deals with everyday life in a war torn region. Eventually, she starts spilling out secrets of her past. Memories she has never spoken of before. The film itself, a revelation. There is little to no action or violence depicted on screen but the tension is never [...]

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‘The Only Real Game’ Review

By IIF|2013-09-05T02:07:56+00:00May 3rd, 2013|NYIFF, reviews|

The world premiere of "The Only Real Game" was at the New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) on Wednesday, May 1, 2013 at the Tribeca Cinemas in New York City, NY. It was followed by a Q&A with Director Mirra Banks, narrator Melissa Leo, producer Muriel "Mike" Peters and cast member Jeff Brueggemann. http://youtu.be/FnwlGA9q2Xw "Baseball is a microcosm of the world; the decisions, struggles, things that aren't fair." - Quote from "The Only Real Game" Even in times of plenty or times without devastation or sacrifice, certain elements of society have the tendency to function as binding elements, a social [...]

‘Dekh Tamasha Dekh’ Review

By IIF|2013-09-04T13:49:17+00:00May 3rd, 2013|Film Festivals, NYIFF, reviews|

"Dekh Tamasha Dekh" is an inspired and unique film from director Feroz Abbas Khan (coming off the critically acclaimed "Gandhi, My Father"). It's the story of a town torn apart by the dispute over a dead man's religious identity. What ensues is a mix of hilarity and horror that appropriately dissects the irrationality of violence, religious zealots, corruption and bureaucracy. "Dekh Tamasha Dekh" by Feroz Abbas Khan opened NYIFF this year Khan's two main vehicles of exposition here are, as stated earlier, comedy and drama. There are scenes displaying the complete ineptitude of the legal system in a rather [...]

Chatting with Melissa Leo about narrating “The Only Real Game”

By IIF|2013-09-05T02:15:01+00:00May 3rd, 2013|Film Festivals, Interviews, movies we loved, NYIFF|

IIF was privileged to have the chance to interview Academy Award winning actress Melissa Leo. She was most recently acclaimed for her award winning performance in "The Fighter" as Alice Ward, as well as roles in "Flight" (as Ellen Block), "Oblivion" (as Sally), and "Olympus Has Fallen" (as Ruth McMillan). Her relationship with Mirra Bank, director of "The Only Real Game", has led to her narrating the film. Check out our interview below! India Independent Films: Thank you very much for taking some time to speak with us today. It’s a special opportunity for us to be able to work [...]

Opening Day at the NYIFF Red Carpet!

By IIF|2013-09-04T13:58:27+00:00May 2nd, 2013|Brown Hollywood, Film Festivals, NYIFF|

The New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) kicked off on Tuesday, April 31st with their red carpet celebrations at the Skirball Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Manhattan. With that said, I have a secret: this was my first. My first full event coverage. My first red carpet. My first solo blog post. As the newest contributor to the blog, and new to the world of covering films, this was my first Red Carpet experience, and I have to say I loved every minute of it! I was very excited, (and kind of anxious) in the lead up: charging [...]

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