These few movies, I suspect, could be worth watchig at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2024, 15 August to 25 August, 2024. This is the 15th year of the festival and it has matured as a celebration of Indian cinema in different south asian languages. The movies selected are random and the choice is based on available information.
-South Asia Times (SAT) Editor.
Mrs
Hindi
Saturday, August 24, 03.00 PM | Village Bendigo
111 Mins | 2023 | India Restricted to persons aged 18+
Australian Premiere
Richa, a passionate dancer, marries into a family of doctors and discovers their modern facade hides traditional expectations. Denied a job and intimacy, she struggles in a marriage of convenience. She strives to find her identity amidst navigating her life in kitchen.
Festivals
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival 2023,
Palm Springs International Film Festival 2024,
Best Actress Award for Sanya Malhotra at New York Indian Film Festival 2024
Farming the Revolution
Punjabi
102 Mins | 2024 | India, France, Norway, Qatar, Switzerland, United States No Restriction
Australian Premiere
In 2020, Gurbaz Sangha, a young Punjabi farmer, led thousands to Delhi to protest new Farm Laws. Joined by over half a million people, they stayed at the borders despite COVID lockdown, vowing to remain until the laws were repealed.
Director: Nishtha Jain
Festivals
Best International Feature Documentary Prize – Hot Docs International Documentary Festival 2024,
Sheffield DocFest UK 2024,
International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala 2024
Girls Will Be Girls
English, Hindi
118 Mins | 2024 | India, France, USA, Norway Restricted to persons aged 15 and over unless accompanied by an adult
In a strict boarding school nestled in the Himalayas, 16-year-old Mira discovers desire and romance; but her sexual, rebellious awakening is disrupted by her mother who never got to come-of-age herself.
Festivals
World Cinema Dramatic (Audience) Award – Sundance Film Festival 2024
Insides and Outsides
Hindi, English, Urdu
54 Mins | 2023 | India Restricted to persons aged 15 and over unless accompanied by an adult
International Premiere
Filmmaker Arbab explores the experience of being a Muslim in India amid escalating violence and discrimination. The film contrasts external hate with Arbab’s parents’ internal struggle to renegotiate their identity in a shifting political landscape.
Cast: Arbab Ahmad, Rubina Rahman, SMK Rahman
Director: Arbab Ahmad
Festivals
Kumar Talkies Award for Best Editing – International Documentary and Short Film Festival Kerala 2023,
Best Medium Length Film – Madurai International Documentary Festival 2023
Paradise
English, Sinhala, Malayalam
93 Mins | 2023 | Sri Lanka, India Restricted to persons aged 15 and over unless accompanied by an adult
Victorian Premiere
An Indian tourist couple arrive in the hill country of crisis ridden Sri Lanka to celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary. But, when things take an unexpected turn, conflicts deepen revealing cracks in their relationship.
Festivals
Busan International Film Festival 2023,
Sydney Film Festival 2024
Naam
23 Mins | 2023 | India No Restriction
Australian Premiere
A single mother changes her identity to work as house help. She bonds deeply with her pregnant employer, sharing personal experiences. Their friendship faces a test due to a major misunderstanding.
Festivals
Mumbai International Short Film Festival 2023,
International Film Festival Of South Asia Toronto 2023,
Bangladesh International Short & Independent Film Festival 2024
Wakhri (One of a Kind)
99 Mins | 2023 | Pakistan, USA Restricted to persons aged 15 and over unless accompanied by an adult
Australian Premiere
A widowed Pakistani teacher becomes a viral sensation overnight after sharing her unabashed opinions on social media. Her newfound fame brings challenges, as she navigates archaic mindsets and fights for women’s rights to have a voice and space.
Festivals
Red Sea Film Festival 2023,
Cleveland International Film Festival 2024,
Nepal America International Film Festival 2024,
London Indian Film Festival 2024
