Hansal Mehta’s ‘Aligarh’ screened at New York Indian Film Festival
The New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF) witnessed Hansal Mehta’s Aligarh, a riveting heartbreaking, poignant, and hard-hitting tale at the Gala closing night on Saturday, 14 th May’16 at Skirball Center for Performing Arts, 566 La Guardia Place @ Washington Square South, NYC. The festival featured 40 screenings (35 narratives, 5 documentaries).
In addition five programs of short films too got featured here. The festival highlighted various cinemas of India's different regions. The New York Indian Film Festival announced the winners of its competition categories in the final event for the successful festival, which ran from May 7 – May 14.
It was a delight for Director Hansal Mehta as he returns to NYIFF after “City Lights”(the love story of a common man), the opening film of 2014 festival at NYIFF. Both City Lights as well as “Aligarh” were prominently screened at NYIFF. After the successful and much appreciated screening of the much talked about movie, Manoj Vajpayee, the versatile and much acclaimed actor participated in a post-screening conversation with the IAAC supporters and other filmmaker in attendance.
“We are delighted to be a part of NYIFF again with the screening of our current film Aligarh. This progressive turn is simultaneously a product of and a response to the changing mores of the urban middle class, which has developed a more tolerant view than other segments of society. This contingent is numerically a minority but it is Bollywood’s most significant source of revenue.” Hansal Mehta, Director
“I am delighted to honor these brilliant filmmakers for the diversity of their plots, themes & characters!” said Aroon Shivdasani, IAAC Executive & Artistic Director.
Winners:
Best Film: Highway
Best Director: Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni for Highway
Best Screenplay: Ruchika Oberoi, Island City
Best Actor: Rajit Kapoor, Threshold
Best Actress: Neena Gupta, Threshold
Best Child Actor: Vedashree Mahajan, The Silence
Best Documentary: Cities of Sleep
Best Short: Daaravtha
About NYIFF:
The New York Indian Film Festival is the oldest, most prestigious Indian film festival in the United States. It is dedicated to showcasing, promoting and building an awareness of Independent, art house and diaspora films from/about/connected to the Indian subcontinent.
Our mission is to encourage filmmakers to tell their stories, to educate North America about them and their talent and to facilitate the making and distribution of these films. NYIFF boasts eight days of premiere screenings of feature, documentary & short films, industry panels, special events, retrospectives, red carpet galas, an award ceremony, packed audiences and amazing media coverage.
