Australia is hosting what is being billed as the largest celebration of cinema from India beyond the Asian subcontinent. The National Indian Film Festival of Australia is underway and will run through July 05, Sunday. Opening with the BAFTA winning Manipuri film Boong, directed by Lakshmipriya Devi and produced by Farhan Akhtar, the festival takes place in 14 cities in Australia and features over 32 films in 18 languages. The venues include major capital cities in the country, including Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, and Melbourne, as well as regional and remote areas such as Alice Springs and Broken Hill.
Srechko Jernej "Stretch" Kontelj, the Mayor of the City of Greater Geelong, has hosted the festival launch event in collaboration with the City of Greater Geelong and the Geelong Waterfront Film Foundation.
At the festival, Anupam Kher will receive the International Indian Cinema Icon Award. Besides his work in Indian cinema, across languages, Anupam Kher's credits also include Hollywood productions such as The Big Sick, Silver Linings Playbook, and Bend It Like Beckham.
The festival will also have a screening of actor-director Anupam Kher's Tanvi the Great, co-starring Shubhangi, Pallavi Joshi, Arvind Swamy, Jackie Shroff, Karan Tacker, Boman Irani, Iain Glen, and Nasser. Notably, the movie, which takes inspiration from Anupam's autistic niece, is billed as a centrepiece attraction of the National Indian Film Festival of Australia's new initiative 'Able + Diverse'. The initiative looks to encourage more discussion about representation in films, especially about diversity and disability.
Speaking about the award and his movie, Anupam Kher said, "I am deeply honoured to accept the International Indian Cinema Icon Award at the National Indian Film Festival of Australia. Australia holds a very special place in my heart. Ever since my first visit and filming experience here many years ago, to being on the Jury of AACTA Awards headed by Russell Crowe, I have always felt a deep warmth from its people and a genuine curiosity about Indian stories and culture. It is therefore a great pleasure to receive this award from NIFFA. Festivals like this play an important role in building cultural bridges and allowing cinema to travel across borders, languages, and communities."