"Saw brilliant masterpiece @qissa. Director #anupsingh is genius- the film's a powerful dream..." - Mira Nair (via @MiraPagliNair)

“I saw a brilliant Punjabi film called Qissa, which I think is completely different from anything else that comes out as alternative cinema from Mumbai. There was some calmness to it, which is contemplative; even lovely. It’s a different kind of cinema.”    —Deepa Mehta 

Tuesday, September 30, 2014 (Toronto)  - Studio Film Group (SFG International) is proud to announce that festival darling "Qissa: The Tale of a Lonely Ghost" will begin an exclusive one week theatrical run at TIFF Bell Lightbox in advance of an expanded national release planned to coincide with the film's Indian premiere.

Told in traditional sufi folkloric style, Qissa is a haunting story of fractured identity, doomed love, and the sins of the father, unfolding against the historical backdrop of the violent partitioning of The Punjab into Pakistan and India.

Acting heavyweight Irrfan Khan (The Lunchbox, Life of Pi) makes his Punjabi language debut as Umber Singh, a ghost of a man.  Suffering lasting effects from the violent trauma of The Partition and determined to fight his fate, Umber takes a drastic decision that will impact his chosen heir (Tillotama Shome, Monsoon Wedding), and have tragic consequences for the entire family.

"This film resides close to my heart and in the heart of many Punjabis,” says writer/director Anup Singh. “Irrfan Khan, one of India’s brightest actors, takes you on an emotional roller coaster relatable to anyone who has encountered identity issues or feelings of displacement. This film has a wide appeal, especially to a diverse nation like Canada.”

In addition to Khan, Qissa boasts a critically acclaimed and award winning performance from Tillotama Shoma (Alice, Monsoon Wedding) and stellar turns from supporting players Tisca Chopra and newcomer Rasika Duggal.

"Qissa has won acclaim and awards around the world and sets a new example for Punjabi cinema," says Nadia Sandhu, President of film distributor SFG. "It is our hope that Qissa becomes the first of many creative and boundary pushing features from Punjabi and Indian filmmakers in the years to come." 

Qissa is an Indo-European venture, a co-production between India, Germany, The Netherlands and France. 

QISSA: Awards and Accolades

After a Netcap Award Winning World Premiere at TIFF 2013, Qissa earned international acclaim as the Opening Night Gala at the prestigious International Film Festival of Rotterdam and at the Curaçao International Film Festival, among a slew of other honours including:

Winner- NETPAC Award- Best World or International Film at TIFF 2013

Winner-The Dioraphte Award - Audience Choice at International Film Festival of Rotterdam

Winner-India Gold- Best Film at Mumbai International Film Festival

Winner-INALCO Jury Award- Vesoul Asian Film Festival

Winner-Best Actress- Tillotama Shome at Abu Dhabu International Film Festival

Winner-Best Actress- Tillotama Shome at International Film Festival of Queensland

Winner- Best Actor- Irrfan Khan at International Film Festival of Queensland

ABOUT SFG INTERNATIONAL

Studio Film Group specializes in the marketing, packaging and distribution of high quality independent Canadian and World cinema. SFG has been instrumental in successfully launching Indian independent titles to international acclaim and box office success including Indian indie box office champion Ship of Theseus. QISSA is the first title of the new international co-production and distribution venture SFG International. 

TICKETS AND SHOWTIMES:

http://www.tiff.net/programming/new-releases/qissa

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