DCSAFF will also host a September 8th gala WIFT India gala that will honor achievements in film by some of the most talented women in the visual arts.
It’s that time of year again folks, when the Washington DC metropolitan area will get to experience the annual DC South Asian Film Festival (DCSAFF), featuring short films, feature length films, and documentaries from various South Asian countries and talents around the world! The festival’s fun will be accentuated by the coming of these very talents, including several celebrities, whom have made a mark on audiences. The DC South Asian Arts Council, Montgomery College and Women in Film and Television (WIFT) are the partnered sponsors this year for the event.
This year, the festival will take place from September 7th-9th at the Rockville campus of Montgomery College in Maryland and the festivities will begin with an opening night red carpet, gala reception and film screening beginning at 6:30 PM. Celebrities expected to attend include producer Boney Kapoor and his daughter Jahnvi Kapoor (of the newly released film Dhadak fame), actress Swara Bhaskar (Veere Di Wedding), actor Suraj Sharma (Life of Pi), director Zoya Akhtar (Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Dil Dhadakne Do, Luck By Chance) and many others.
RELATED: Aishwarya Rai to attend WIFT India award night in Washington on September 8 (August 25, 2018)
Opening night attendees will have the unique opportunity to not only meet the celebrities firsthand, but witness a live conversation with Mr. Boney Kapoor, followed by a screening of the film 5 Rupya, starring the legendary Shabana Azmi.
The following day, September 8th, will begin with a workshop on casting and direction, to be conducted by professional actress Meera Narsimhan and American University Film Professor Claudia Myers, who is also a well-respected filmmaker. Films expected to be shown this day include Some Lover to Some Beloved, Half Widow, What Will People Say, Nude, Black Kite, The Unknown Mountaineers, T For Taj Mahal, Needhi Naadhi Oke Katha and Nakkash.)
One of the biggest highlights on the evening of September 8th will be a gala, sponsored by DCSAFF and WIFT, which will honor achievements in film by some of the most talented women in the visual arts. This will be particularly a once in a lifetime event because superstar actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will be in attendance, as well as other American and South Asian filmmakers and actors. This event will be held in Bethesda at the Hyatt Regency. Tickets for this event are going fast, so book them while you can!
On the final day of the festival, September 9th, there will be a workshop on “Smart Phone Filmmaking,” to be taught by Montgomery College Professor Bijana Milenkovic. The films being shown on this day include Silhouettes, Lashtam Pashtam, My Pure Land, Ray of Light, Aaron, and 5 Weddings. This last film will be the closing night film, and the closing night will include a panel discussion on diversity and funding challenges in filmmaking, the screening of the music videos Deep Blue She and Heptanesia, an awards ceremony and dinner reception.
Each of the films being shown at the festival will be accompanied by excellent short films, some of which have been produced in the DC area by DC and other local talent such as Looking for Mr. Right (dir. Suneeta Misra, attached to Half Widow), Habaneros (dir. Sri Mirajkar, attached to What Will People Say), Telephone (dir. Mansoor Ahmed, attached to Lashtam Pashtam) and Moksha (dir. Vick Krishna, attached to Black Kite).
This year’s festival is guaranteed to be the talk of the town and if you haven’t bought your tickets yet, you should do so quickly! For more information, please visit https://dcsaff.com/ .
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