Filmi South Asian Festival in Toronto

 

A lot has changed in the world of movies. Initially it was the old Zamindaar trying to swindle the poor farmer of his land. Then came the songs shot in foreign locations and Angry young men who would fight off the bad guys, stop drug smuggling and save the day! After which we were introduced to the love stories where the Khans took over romancing the lovely ladies of cinema. These days we are seeing a change in the movies with movies like 3 Idiots, Peepli [Live], and Road. Now there is a wider subject matter and there is something for everyone. Toronto International Film Festival kicks off on the 9th of September, which will showcase movies from all over the world. September starts with TIFF and will end with a BANG with Filmi ishtyle...with our very own 11th Annual Filmi South Asian Film Festival!

To tell you more about Filmi, this Film Festival was created ten years ago in response to the absence of South Asian representation in the North American Film industry. Today it has grown to be the largest festival of its kind in North America, and aspires to become the largest outside India. Filmi hit the festival circuit during the summer of 2000, at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto, earning accolades from the worldwide film community and audiences alike. Continuing with its success, Filmi is now an annual event committed to cultivating a new audience for films produced outside of India and the Bollywood system. The creation of the Filmi South Asian Festival is further proof that all great things are born from a dream. In 1999, Mohit Rajhans and Dinesh Sachdev founded Filmi and together, they have grown this festival to be the largest of its kind in North America. Mohit is a household name when it comes to television and Dinesh holds the same stature when it comes to the world of stage and movies; both men have given us a platform to honour and recognise Film Creatives amongst our own!

The schedule for the 11th Annual Filimi Festival is available on line at www.filmi.org. The festival kicks off on Thursday September 30th, at Jackman Hall – 317 Dundas Street West. Friday and Saturday Movies will be screened at Revue Cinema – 400 Roncesvalles Avenue. And we end the event with the Grand Finale on Sunday October 3rd at Bloor Cinema – 506 Bloor St. West.

Now South Asian producers, directors and actors have a platform for their stories; these creative people come together to promote their films and we get to see more than the song and dance around the tree! Some of the movies that have been showcased on Filmi in the past have been: Just a Little Red Dot, directed by Mitra Sen; Hyderabad Blues by Nagesh Kukunoor; and the shocking true story Bawandar (Sandstorm), directed by Jagmohan Mundrah.

In ten years, the audience have grown to over 5,000 people and is still growing. If you want to have the opportunity to view the premiere of many Canadian films by South Asian filmmakers as well as South Asian films from around the world, this is the place to be! Come and see the wonderful creative works of these directors, producers and actors. It’s going to be a fun filled weekend in Toronto. You wouldn't want to miss it!
-Diksha Pal Narayan