NY 2006 South Asian International Film Festival will run from October 4-8 in New York City.


SAIFF will host over 50 of the latest and most celebrated short, documentary and feature films from the South Asian subcontinent. The five-day film festival continues SAIFF's mission to present the best in South Asian cinema from across India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. This year's festival will include 21 World Premieres and 11 North American premieres.

"We had an overwhelming number of submissions this year," said Shilen Amin, President of SAIFF. "The selection process was extremely difficult but we feel that this year's festival really captures the immense talent coming out of South Asia."

SAIFF's third-annual event will kick-off Wednesday, October 4th with the Opening Night World Premiere of Manish Jha's Anwar at the Loews Theater at Lincoln Square.

"We are excited to have Anwar as our opening night film as it captures so many of the themes of this year's festival," said Manjri Srivastava, SAIFF Festival Director. "The film is an evocative essay that speaks to many of the issues currently facing the South Asian diaspora - stereotyping, judgment and cultural assimilation - all told through a beautiful love story."

Acclaimed selections include: Quarter-Life Crisis - a romantic comedy about a 20-something dealing with relationship issues (directed and co-written by Kiran Merchant), Hope and a Little Sugar - a post-9/11 drama about finding love in the face of tragedy (directed and co-written by Tanuja Chandra) and Rockin' Meera - a comedic romp set in the heart of Rajasthan. (directed and written by Param Gill).

From India, Anuranan, a drama about love, loss and friendship. From Pakistan, Botal Gali, a provocative film on prohibition and the dark side of Karachi. From Nepal, Punam, a short film about one little girl's dream to simply be a kid. From Bangladesh, My Cultural Divide, a documentary on one man's journey to bridge the gap between his heritage and his life. From Sri Lanka, Butterfly Wings, an award winning film about the hopes and dreams of a young boy and the obstacles that stand in his way.

Also, featured documentaries this year include: The Widow Colony – which recounts the events of the November 1984 Sikh massacre in New Delhi, India, Fingers of Fire - which follows one man's journey in the world of tabla music and Going to School in India – which describes India's diverse classroom settings.