Entertainment / Our Fave Moments From The International Film Festival Of South Asia (IFFSA)

Our Fave Moments From The International Film Festival Of South Asia (IFFSA)

Entertainment Aug 23, 2022

by Mrinalini Sundar

South Asian movie enthusiasts in Canada had an exciting eleven days courtesy of the 11th annual International Film Festival of South Asia (IFFSA Toronto). The cinematic extravaganza took place across multiple prestigious venues across the Greater Toronto Area from August 11 to 21, 2022.

This eclectic South Asian movie festival showcased a diverse, language-independent, selection of films from around the world, on themes of South Asian cultures and identities. There were also quite a few foreign films that were considered under the Beyond South Asia segment.

About The Festival

From Bollywood & Beyond: Our Fave Moments From The International Film Festival Of South Asia: *No Land’s Man.* Photo Credit: https://iffsatoronto.com/

IFFSA Toronto is the largest South Asian film festival in North America, and a pioneer institute advancing the development, promotion, and celebration of South Asian cinematic arts in Canada. In addition, the festival also features grand gala celebrations, red carpet showcases, musical performances, audience interactions, forums, panel discussions, workshops, masterclasses, and various networking opportunities with government representatives, business leaders, local organizations that support film development, artists, producers, directors, members of the media and more.

Both celebrated and emerging creatives, film stars, and film professionals attend the festival. The highly festive and interactive atmosphere of the festival brings artists and audiences together in a very engaging way.

IFFSA 2022

After organizing virtual film festivals, this year IFFSA returned to be in-person with 40 plus events, 120 movie screenings in 22 languages, and some of the top names from the Bollywood industry gracing the red carpet. The opening ceremony saw three movie screenings — Crescent Night, Last Show, and No Land’s Man. Sunny Gill the president of IFFSA spoke at the glitzy red carpet event, “IFFSA just like Canada was built on a dream. As a country, we are committed to the dream of our multicultural identities coming together to celebrate our cultures. We are committed to this love, love r the years, the dream has never been my own. The dream is part of all of us. Through workshops, masterclasses, mentorship, and a support system we want to help the South Asian Canadian talent acquire knowledge and pass it to the next generation,” he shared.

From Bollywood & Beyond: Our Fave Moments From The International Film Festival Of South Asia: No Land's Man. Photo Credit: https://iffsatoronto.com/ — From Bollywood & Beyond: Our Fave Moments From The International Film Festival Of South Asia: (Second from left) Mississauga Mayor Her Honourable Mayor Bonnie Crombie, lyricist Javed Akhtar, his wife iconic actress Shabana Azmi and Founder of IFFSA, Sunny Gill at the IFFSA event. Photo Credit: https://iffsatoronto.com

Well-known lyricist for movies such as Lagaan and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, poet and screenwriter Javed Akhtar was pleased to be the chief guest for the event. Apart from attending the red carpet festivities, he also conducted a masterclass about his journey in Bollywood, movies, and songs. Talking about IFFSA and his association with it, he said, “Attending IFFSA is a great experience for a lot of us because it brings together different cultures and movies to one podium. I am glad this festival is only growing bigger and bigger and is growing in different languages. The festival not only premiers some classy movies but also encourages new talent.”

Joining him was his wife the iconic Shabana Azmi known for her roles in movies such as Arth, Paar, Khandhar, and Masoom. Azmi was equally thrilled to be at the film festival and also had a separate session where she spoke about her acting journey and shared acting tips. One of the highlights of the festival was the special event, Mughal-E-Azam: An Ode to a Masterpiece – where Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar paid tribute to the iconic 1960’s film by the legendary director K Asif. The duo spoke about how the movie creates and inspired audiences across the world even today. They not only shared their own interpretation of the movie but also threw a spotlight on the writing in the movie. Talking at the event, Shabana Azmi, “Even as the world shrinks and becomes a global village, it is becoming more and more diligent where we need to discard the old ways of cultures dictated from the West to the East. If we need to understand cultures within their own definitions and parameters then we cannot do this more successfully than in movies. So it is wonderful that we create opportunities that showcase the diversity of South Asian films so people come to know that an idea of India cannot be just one. India is a country that lives within several centuries that lives through movies,” she shared.

There were also celebrities who attended this year’s IFFSA purely to enjoy the films that were being screened and to meet the new generation of talent. Actress Kulraj Kaur Randhawa who acted in Yamla Pagla Deewana was also there. “I think this is a brilliant opportunity for talent and I wish there are enough people who are willing to hire these talents in their next project, that is my hope,” said Kulraj. Also spotted at the event was Sugith Varughese who is popular for his role in shows such as Transplant and Kim’s Convenience. He said, “I am a pioneer in Canadian film and television as a South Asian actor so it gives me great joy to come to IFFSA to see how the Indian movies are celebrated and enjoyed by the audiences here. I am here to show support to all the movies as someone who works in the industry.”

Next-Gen At IFFSA 2022

A poster of the movie, Buried and Forgotten. — **From Bollywood & Beyond: Our Fave Moments From The International Film Festival Of South Asia**: *Buried and Forgotten*. Photo Credit: https://iffsatoronto.com

We also caught up with some motivated and up-and-coming talent. While on the red carpet we spoke with director Ali Ahmed whose film Buried and Forgotten premiered at the film festival. “This is exactly my kind of place to showcase, because the film is also about a South Asian family and touches upon various subjects such as addiction, mental health, and sexual assault trauma. I believe in its 11th year, at IFFSA, you get a different perspective of the South Asian fraternity,” he told us. Also speaking to us at the movie screening was Satinder Kassoana whose film Range Road 290 premiered at the film festival. “This is my first Punjabi independent feature film that is a thriller and sees actors such as Harsharan Singh, Amanindar Dhillon, Arshdeep Purba, Pipan Kumar, and Daljit Sandhu. I think becoming a filmmaker was my journey and after my first film Bounjour Ji, things started to fall in place and I realized I could say stories and this is where I want to be. IFFSA is a great place to showcase our movies that audiences can watch and enjoy,” he shared.

We can’t wait for the next installment of IFFSA where the celebration of South Asian films continue at this grand scale.

Main Image Photo Credit: https://iffsatoronto.com

Mrinalini Sundar

Author

Mrinalini Sundar (new_girl_in_to) has worked with various Indian national, international publications including Times Of India and is currently based out of Toronto. She's constantly in search of high adventure, exotic food, and new experiences. She is the happiest amidst mountains, with no wi-fi.

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Our Fave Moments From The International Film Festival Of South Asia (IFFSA)

by Mrinalini Sundar

Mrinalini Sundar

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