Indian Film Festival of Melbourne goes online for 2020 edition

Indian Film Festival of Melbourne goes online for 2020 edition

Melbourne held its ninth edition online, with special tributes to late Bollywood stars Irrfan Khan, Rishi Kapoor and Sushant Singh Rajput.

The festival, which was held online this year from 23rd October to 30th October due to the coronavirus pandemic, screened more than 60 movies in 17 languages over the course of eight days. Earlier the fest was planned for August, but was postponed due to the burgeoning Covid-19 positive cases.

Late Bollywood actors Rishi Kapoor, Irrfan Khan and Sushant Singh Rajput

It kicked-off with the screenings of two films -- “Natkhat” and “Habbadi” -- addressing the issues of disability and gender equality.

“Indian filmmakers - from independent short filmmakers to our most powerful directors - turn their gaze to issues proficiency” and “love” were two entirely different issues,” Rajan Zed pointed out.

Vidya Balan and Sanika Patel in Natkhat

Zed urged Australia’s Prime Minister Scott Morrison to move Australia forward and not backward by creating additional burden and stress for lovers by such proposals. “In a multicultural society like Australia, of freedom and equality in the contemporary world and celebrate diversity that defines us all.

“Film is a powerful way to bring people together be it if they are sitting in a packed cinema or in in their homes,” IFFM director Mitu Bhowmick Lange said.

Calling 2020 as a challenging year for many people, the IFFM partnered with Mental Health Foundation (MHO) Australia and sought participants to donate to MHO while booking.

This year, the festival witnessed 34 international premiers and over 50 Australian premiers under five streams.

The festival sections were -- “Hurrah Bollywood” for the best mainstream Hindi cinema from the last twelve months; “Beyond Bollywood” for art house and cinema in regional Indian Parliament should not approve such ill-conceived and blatantly discriminatory requirements,” he said.

Rajan Zed also urged Australian Catholic Bishops Conference General Secretary Stephen Hackett, Anglican Church of Australia Primate Geoffrey Smith and Uniting Church in Australia languages; “Film India World” for films that cross international borders; and the Documentary section.

‘Habaddi’ movie director Nachiket Samant with child actor Karan Dave

Highlight of the festival also included the micro-budgeted film “Lorni: The Flaneur”; “The Illegal”, a film about immigrants in the US; “Run Kalyani”, a poetic and realist drama about duties, dreams and desires which opened the 2019 New York Indian Film Festival; “The MisEducation of Bindu”; and documentary “Moti Bagh”, which was sent for the Oscar this year.

The fest honoured the work of stars Rishi Kapoor, Sushant Singh Rajput and Irfan Khan who passed away this year.

Apart from this, selected films from its short film festival competition which received an overwhelming response of over 3000 entries, were also made available for online viewing.

IFFM statement said that the unprecedented response indicated people’s creativity during lockdown.

A selection of short films shot over last 12 months, ‘Made in Melbourne’ showing streets and interiors of Melbourne were also virtually screened during the fest.

President Deidre Palmer to openly condemn such proposals which created hurdles in love.

As per 2016 Census, there were over 300 separately identified languages spoken in Australian homes. More than one-fifth of Australians spoke a language other than English at home.

(Courtesy: PTI)