Presented by NetIP Chicago and Vachikam Inc., hosted by Columbia College Chicago and supported by the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, the festival was developed to promote South Asian culture throughout the greater Chicago metro area and Midwest, by showcasing filmmakers of South Asian descent as well as films that represent the perspective of the Diaspora. The event will establish a groundbreaking cinematic and cultural experience. This year’s festival will attract close to 2,000 people consisting of various professionals, students, faculty, filmmakers and members of the Chicago South Asian community.
The three-day experience kicks off with a red carpet event at the Chicago Cultural Center, followed by the opening night film, a question and answer session with the director and actors, and a gala reception. Screenings on Saturday and Sunday will take place at Film Row Cinema at Columbia College Chicago. This year’s festival will screen 16 films including features, shorts, and documentaries in a variety of genres. All film sessions at Columbia College Chicago include Q&A with the director and/or actors.
As an added bonus, selected films will be shown at Claudia Theater at the Chicago Cultural Center on Saturday and admission to the public will be absolutely FREE – so don’t miss out on this opportunity to catch these outstanding independent films.
Additional offerings over the weekend include a special workshop “Hollywood Production with the Canon DSLR camera system” for those interested in learning how to use a Canon 5D/7D for film, television, and web production.
About the Films and Attendees
We’ve selected sixteen fascinating films that showcase the world through the eyes of South Asians. The line up includes the opening night film 2 Paise For Sunshine 4 Annas for Rain starring Manisha Koirala; 2009 National Award winning film, Antaheen; Ajay Naidu’s directorial debut movie, Ashes; and a series of outstanding features, short films and documentaries. More information on the films can be found at http://www.csaff.org/film_selections.html.
Artists expected to attend include award winning directors and actors – Deepti Naval, Manisha Koirala, Rajit Kapoor, Aparna Sen, Ajay Naidu, Ravi Kapoor, Aniruddha Roy Chowdhury, Meera Simhan, Umakanth Thumrugoti and Rajeshwari Sachdev.
Tickets
Tickets are on sale!! Individual movie screenings are only $11 and each screening includes a short film, the feature film and a Q&A session with the director and/or actor. It’s a perfect opportunity to meet the filmmakers and learn about their craft and their films.
Opening night is $100 and includes a red carpet arrival, screening of our opening night film, Q&A with the director/principal actors, and the exclusive opening night gala. Enjoy tantalizing hors d-oeuvres along with alcoholic beverages and other refreshments as you network in style with a crowd of prominent guests and artists. Opening night tickets are limited, so be sure to purchase your ticket soon!
Special festival passes are also available at a discounted rate. Please visit http://csaff.org/ticket_passes.html for tickets and prices.
For more information, contact Amit Rana, Cultural Chair NetIP Chicago at amit.rana@netipchicago.org
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