Sydney, Australia – The South Asian Film Festival of Australia (SAFFA) will have its first edition in Sydney from March 17th to 19th, 2023 at Hoyts cinemas, Blacktown, Sydney. Created by a team of Australia-based filmmakers and film lovers, the festival aims to spotlight South Asian talent within Australia and across the globe.
The festival will showcase 25 films, including ten short fiction films and ten short documentaries, selected from a pool of 2093 submissions across the South Asian region. The final fiction selection was made by an eminent jury comprising actor-director Vipin Sharma (Taare Zameen Par, Gangs of Wasseypur, Paatal Lok and The Family Man) and actor Arka Das (Here Out West, Shantaram, Lion). Documentary filmmaker Emma Macey (Geeta) and eminent cinematographer Arindam Bhattacharjee judged the documentary category.
According to festival co-director Vikrant Kishore, “These films explore important themes and offer unique perspectives on the region, and we are proud to bring them to audiences in Australia.”
Organising Secretary Taneem Mannan added, “SAFFA is dedicated to promoting the appreciation of South Asian film and culture, and the festival serves as a testament to the growing artistic and cultural exchange between South Asia and Australia. We are thrilled to present a diverse array of films that celebrates and amplify the talent and diverse stories out there.”
The festival is excited to announce Rani Mukerji starrer Mrs Chatterjee vs Norway as the closing film. “Based on a true story, the film is about an immigrant Indian mother’s battle against the government’s foster care system and local legal machinery to win back the custody of her children. This will be a compelling David vs Goliath story which is sure to resonate with many migrant communities and move film lovers,” said Achala Datar, Theatrical Manager, Zee Studios Australia, NZ and Fiji, who is also part of the festival organizing committee.
“As a South Asian Australian filmmaker, I am excited that we have created this unique platform. The festival will provide a platform for emerging and established filmmakers to showcase their work and connect with industry professionals and film lovers with special screenings of Australian filmmakers of South Asian origin.” said filmmaker and SAFFA treasurer Ali Sayed.
“We are blown away by the encouraging messages on social media from various people anticipating and supporting the festival. We have seen a great response to our ongoing fundraiser on GoFundMe. SAFFA has been a huge project undertaken by a small, passionate team. We are sure many film lovers across NSW and Australia will come to enjoy and support the festival. We hope SAFFA will become an annual feature in the Sydney film scene.” said SAFFA vice-president and Sydney-based filmmaker Rashmi Ravindran.
The festival is supported by the Multicultural NSW and the Australian Production Designers Guild (APDG). SAFFA is open to all; tickets can be purchased on the festival’s website and Eventbrite.
Facebook: SAFFA | Sydney NSW | Facebook
Other links: SAFFA Closing Night: Mrs.Chatterjee v/s Norway + SAFFA shorts Tickets, Sun 19/03/2023 at 3:00 pm | Eventbrite
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