The New York Indian Film Festival, a much-anticipated annual event went off successfully over the four-day period May 11-14, 2023.
Organized by the Indo American Arts Council, the festival featured new films, upcoming actors and directors, and included interactive sessions with renowned film makers and actors, among them Sharmila Tagore, and Manoj Bajpayee. Winners were announced at a star studded event at the SVA theater in New York City on Sunday May 14.
Tagore and Bajpayee were the highlights on May 12, when there was a special screening of Rahul Chittella’s critically acclaimed film Gulmohar, followed by a Q & A moderated by NYIFF Director Aseem Chhabra.
This year’s NYIFF featured 35 films ranging from full length features to documentaries, and including world premieres of two movies.
On the evening of May 14, director Avinash Arun of ‘Pataal Lok’ fame captured top honors for his film winning the Best Director award and Best Actor and Best Actress awards for the leads Jaideep Ahlawat and Shefali Shah.
The New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF), North America’s oldest of its kind, which features cinema from India and the Indian Diaspora, announced the winners at a film screening and awards ceremony at the SVA theatre in New York City, May 14.
“On behalf of the entire board, I applaud all the winners and nominees. We are proud to continue our tradition of supporting and recognizing this stellar talent and bringing these acclaimed works to a new audience,” Dr. Nirmal Mattoo, Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC) Chairman, is quoted saying in the press release. “This year, our aim was to reinforce the impact of Indian cinema on the global platform by bringing authentic storytelling reflecting the Indian experience.,” he added.
“I am delighted to announce that this year’s event has been very successful. A number of our screenings where completely sold out in our biggest theaters offering audiences a memorable experience. Not only did they get the opportunity to mingle with renowned celebrities such as Manoj and Sharmila, but they also engaged with numerous talented young filmmakers,” Festival Director of NYIFF 2023 Aseem Chhabra, said, adding, “It is with immense joy that we acknowledge an important milestone when a Malayalam film received the prestigious Best Film award at NYIFF. The selections made by our esteemed jury truly reflect the vast breadth and diversity of Indian cinema.”
“Tonight’s closing event was truly a testament to the New York community gathering together to celebrate Indian cinema and its global impact. It was heartening to see the overwhelming response,” added Suman Gollamudi, IAAC executive director. “It was personally a poignant and special moment to show a story centered around the relationship between a mother and her daughter on Mother’s Day,” she said referring to ‘Gulmohar.’
The 23rd Annual NYIFF Award Winners
The winners of each category are as follows.
Best Film: Saudi Vellakka
Best Director: Avinash Arun Dhaware (Three of Us)
Best Actress: Shefali Shah (Three of Us)
Best Actor: Jaideep Ahlawat (Three of Us)
Best Screenplay: Follower
Best Documentary by a Woman Filmmaker awarded by NYWFT Leslie Shampaine – “CALL ME DANCER”
Best Documentary (Short & Feature): To Kill a Tiger
Best Short (Narrative): Birha
From Left to Right: New York Indian Film Festival Curators Lakshmi Ramanathan and Consul General Randhir Jaiswal. PHOTO: NYIFF
