My Melbourne to be the opening film at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne

The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) will open with the anthology film My Melbourne. The project unites four prolific Indian filmmakers—Kabir Khan, Imtiaz Ali, Onir, and Rima Das—in an anthology of short films centered on the city of Melbourne.

Inspired by true incidents, each short film explores themes of race, gender, sexuality, and disability. The films include Emma by Rima Das, Jules by Imtiaz Ali, Nandini by Onir and Setara by Kabir Khan.

Talking about her short, Rima Das said, “The theme of our film is disability and we wanted to keep it very authentic and real. We worked with a mix of senior actors and relatively new actors, including members of the deaf community. I am happy with the outcome and look forward to seeing how the audience receives the film. I hope it initiates dialogue about how we can be more inclusive in all walks of life.”

Director Imtiaz Ali said, “I was moved by the story of two very different yet displaced women in Melbourne. To bring the film to life with the most bright and diverse group of young, local minds, turned out to be a huge learning experience for me.”

Kabir Khan added, “Hearing the story of Setara for the first time in 2021 immediately drew me in. True stories portraying the triumph of the human spirit always have a special appeal for me. Setara's unique escape from Afghanistan to Melbourne and her finding a sense of belonging through cricket made this a story I had to tell.”

Onir concluded, “My Melbourne for me is a film that celebrates what Melbourne stands for… A space that embraces diversity and celebrates inclusion. The film captures this essence through various migrant experiences.”

The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne will be held from August 15 to 25.