April 10 screening preludes official release.
Bureau Report
NEW YORK: Director Deepa Mehta’s film Midnight’s Children will be screened as a kick-off to the 13th annual New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) on April 10.
Mehta, the award-winning writer of the novel by Salman Rushdie, who also adapted the screenplay, will be present at the screening, as well as producer David Hamilton, cast members Sarita Choudhury and Samrat Chakrabarti, plus other special guests. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director and cast members of the film.
Paladin and 108 Media will be officially releasing Midnight’s Children in major U.S. cities starting in New York City on April 26.
Mehta returns to NYIFF after her Oscar-nominated film Water opened the film festival in 2005.
“We have had a very long and creatively fruitful relationship with NYIFF. Fire, the very first film in the elemental trilogy was shown there and almost every film I have made since,” says Mehta.
“Aroon Shivdasani (the Executive Director of the NYIFF) was in fact responsible for the creation of Midnight’s Children. She brought Salman to the premiere screening of Water in New York and that began a close relationship with Salman, which culminated in the very first film adaptation of any of his novels. It is enormously pleasing for me to be once again collaborating with NYIFF and bringing to their extremely discerning audience Midnight’s Children, a film that I have been dreaming of doing since I first read the book over 30 years ago,” said Mehta.
In her latest film, Mehta tantalizes audiences with lush visuals and a magical, wide-spanning story. Two babies, born within moments of India proclaiming Independence from Britain, are switched at birth and are forever marked by history.
Long-time supporter of NYIFF, Rushdie also narrates the film. “I’m delighted the film of Midnight’s Children is to be given this preview screening in New York by my old friends at NYIFF,” says Rushdie.
Midnight’s Children has played at festivals worldwide to much critical acclaim. Celebrating its 13th year, NYIFF will run April 30 to May 4.