Basic HTML Version

|  | Table of Contents |  | View Full Version

Page 28 - The Indan EYE 050126
P. 28

    NORTH AMERICAN Newsline                                                   MAY 01, 2026     |  The Indian Eye 28

                         New York Indian Film Festival 2026 Lineup and

               Nominations, Led by ‘Baksho Bondi,’ ‘Flowers of Acacia’,

              and ‘The Elysian Field’, Signaling Regional Cinema Surge

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            continues its dual mission of champi-
                                                                                                                  oning emerging voices while honor-
            New York, NY
                                                                                                                  ing cinematic excellence, reinforcing
                  he New York Indian Film Fes-                                                                    its position as a key global platform
                  tival (NYIFF), North Amer-                                                                      for Indian Independent Cinema.
            Tica’s longest-running festival                                                                           “This year’s nominated films rep-
            dedicated to Indian independent cin-                                                                  resent the range and depth of story-
            ema, has announced the full lineup                                                                    telling in India today,” said Festival
            and official nominations for its 2026                                                                 Director Aseem Chhabra. “From
            edition, spotlighting a diverse slate                                                                 human dramas to comedies, and nar-
            of films across 15 languages and un-                                                                  ratives that reflect the angst of Mil-
            derscoring the growing dominance of                                                                   lennials and Gen Z, these works re-
            regional storytelling in contemporary                                                                 flect a cinema that is both rooted and
            Indian cinema.                                                                                        globally resonant.”
                This  year’s  nominations  are                                                                        Suman Gollamudi, Executive Di-
            led by Baksho Bondi (Shadowbox),                                                                      rector of IAAC, added: “NYIFF con-
            Flowers of Acacia, Romantic Affairs,                                                                  tinues to serve as a critical launchpad
            Ha Lyngkha Bneng (The Elysian                                                                         for  independent  filmmakers  on  the
            Field), and Victoria, which dominate                                                                  global stage and remains committed
            the Best Film race - highlighting a                                                                   to amplifying distinctive voices across
            strong showing from regional cinema                                                                   Indian cinema.”
            across Bengali, Punjabi, Assamese,                                                                        Dr. Nirmal Mattoo, Chairman
            Khasi, and Malayalam industries.                                                                      of IAAC, said: “The New York Indi-
                The festival will present Far-                                                                    an Film Festival stands as a powerful
            han Akhtar’s classic Dil Chahta Hai                                                                   cultural bridge. The 2026 lineup and
            (2001),  marking  the  film’s  25th  an-                                                              nominations  reaffirm  our  commit-
            niversary and revisiting one of Hindi                                                                 ment to showcasing the richness, di-
            cinema’s most influential coming-of-                                                                  versity, and artistic excellence of Indi-
            age films.                                                                                            an cinema on an international stage.”
                This year’s program includes 19  cial LGBTQ shorts program.     Tighee (Marathi) as the closing film;   The New York Indian Film Fes-
            narrative (features), four documen-   Previously announced highlights  and the centerpiece Flowers of Aca-  tival is presented annually by the In-
            taries (features) and 27 shorts (nar-  include the 4K restored version of  cia (Punjabi).             do-American Arts Council (IAAC), a
            ratives and documentaries) including  the cult classic Sholay; BAFTA win-  Presented by the Indo-American  nonprofit dedicated to promoting Indi-
            several world premieres, and a spe-  ner opening film Boong (Manipuri);  Arts Council (IAAC), NYIFF 2026  an arts and culture in the United States.

                                                       2026 AWARD NOMINATIONS

                                                                                                                 • Kavisha Mahanta (Aakuti)
                         BEST FILM                      BEST DIRECTOR                      BEST ACTOR
                                                                                                                 • Sayan Karmakar (Baksho Bondi)
             • Baksho Bondi (Shadowbox)        • Lakshmipriya Devi (Boong)      • Aryuun Ghosh (Adamya)          • Best Documentary (Feature)
             • Flowers of Acacia               • Senna Hegde (Avihitham)        • Chandan Bisht (Baksho Bondi)   • Breaking the Code
             • Romantic Affairs                • Ranjan Ghosh (Adamya)          • M.K. Raina (Batt Koch)         • Déjà Vu
             • Ha Lyngkha Bneng (The Elysian  • Anmol Sidhu (Flowers of Acacia)  • Nikhil Yadav (Vimukt)         • Marriage Cops
               Field)                          • Pradip Kurbah (The Elysian Field)  • Sanat Chattopadhyay (Maya Satya  • I, Poppy
             • Victoria                                                           Bhram)
                                                      BEST SCREENPLAY                                                 BEST SHORT (NARRATIVE)
                      BEST DEBUT FILM                                                     BEST ACTRESS           • Aasmani
                                               • Anshulika Dubey (How To Not
             • Aakuti (Longing)                 Have Sex)                       • Bharti Achrekar (Tighee)       • Aashirwad (Blessings)
             • Batt Koch                                                        • Kasvi Sonkorison (Romantic Affairs)  • Tumhari Bari Jo! (Jo’s Turn)
             • Baksho Bondi (Shadowbox)        • Anusha Rizvi (The Great Sham-  • Meenakshi Jayan (Victoria)     • Razaa
                                                                                                                 • Room at the Farm
             • Boong                            suddin Family)                  • Revathy Asha (Aasmani)
             • Early Days                      • Nikhil Mahajan & Prajakt       • Tillotama Shome (Baksho Bondi)    BEST DOCUMENTARY (SHORT)
             • How to Not Have Sex              Deshmukh (Tighee)                       BEST CHILD ACTOR         • Ruptured Lines
             • Tighee (Motherhood)                                                                               • The Last Resort
             • Victoria                        • Priyankar Patra (Early Days)   • Daria Bedi (Aasmani)           • This Tree Won’t Fall
             • Vimukt (In Search of the Sky)   • Tannishtha Chatterjee (Full Plate)  • Gugun Kipgen (Boong)      • Waai

                                                                   www.TheIndianEYE.com

| 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 |