Basic HTML Version

|  | Table of Contents |  | View Full Version

Page 18 - The Indian EYE 082126
P. 18

    The Indian Eye
             NORTH AMERICAN Newsline                                                   AUGUST 21, 2026                                      18

                      Aamir Khan Productions’ Batwara

                   1947 to Headline Inaugural Awesome

                                   International Film Festival

              One-day New York festival of independent films from more than 15 countries to

                                    be held under the theme “Cinema Without Borders”

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            ied tension.
                                                                                                                      The full slate reflects the range
            NEW YORK, NY
                                                                                                                  of work coming out of the indepen-
                  he inaugural Awesome Inter-                                                                     dent filmmaking community today.
                  national Film Festival (Aweso-                                                                       AwesomeIFF Advisors
            TmeIFF) announced that Aamir                                                                         •  Sunil Hali  —  Media  pioneer;
            Khan Productions’ Batwara 1947 will                                                                     leads Radio Zindagi and The Indi-
            screen at the festival on Thursday,                                                                     an EYE.
            Aug. 14, 2026, at New York City’s                                                                    •  David S. Zucker — Show creator
            SVA Theatre. The Partition drama                                                                        and producer, David Zucker Pro-
            will headline a one-day lineup of in-                                                                   ductions.
            dependent films from more than 15                                                                    •  Tirlok Malik — Emmy-nominated
            countries.                                                                                              actor and producer, Apple Produc-
                Directed by Rajkumar Santoshi                                                                       tions.
            and  produced by Aamir  Khan  and                                                                    •  Sarba  Das  —  Award-winning  en-
            Aparna Purohit, Batwara 1947 stars                                                                      tertainment executive and creative
            Sunny Deol, Shabana Azmi, Pre-                                                                          strategist.
            ity G. Zinta, Karan Deol, Ali Fazal                                                                           Festival Partner
            and Abhimanyu Singh, with music                                                                      •  Sattie Persaud — Founder, World
            by A.R. Rahman and lyrics by Javed                                                                      Heritage Cultural Center; cultural
            Akhtar. Set against one of the most                                                                     preservation advocate.
            defining  moments  in  the  subconti-                                                                     About Awesome International
            nent’s history, the film tells a story of                                                             Film Festival
            love, loss and humanity during the                                                                        The Awesome International
            Partition of India.                                                                                   Film  Festival  (AwesomeIFF)  is a
                The  screening  reflects  the  festi-                                                             New York City-based international
            val’s mission to present stories that                                                                 film  festival  dedicated  to  indepen-
            travel across borders and bring audi-                                                                 dent filmmakers and to the power of
            ences together through films.                                                                         storytelling to connect people across
               “Batwara 1947 represents exactly                                                                   cultures. Guided by its theme “Cin-
            the kind of storytelling AwesomeIFF                                                                   ema  Without  Borders,”  the  festival
            was created to champion,” said                                                                        showcases narrative, documentary,
            Ritesh  Parikh,  founder  and  festival                                                               animation, AI, student and emerging
            director of AwesomeIFF. “We hope                                                                      filmmakers while creating opportuni-
            audiences leave inspired by this col-                                                                 ties for artists, audiences and industry
            lection  of  stories  from  filmmakers   mation,  AI-generated  film,  student   nature reclaims the world we left   professionals to  discover  new voic-
            who remind us that film has the pow-  work and music video.         behind.  Giving  Mom  the  Talk  —  a   es, exchange ideas and build lasting
            er to connect cultures and spark con-  Featured screenings include the   daughter gives her Indian mother   creative  connections.  AwesomeIFF
            versations.”                      headline film Batwara 1947 — Aamir  “the talk.” The City Speaks — a city   is  more  than  a  film  festival  —  it  is
                AwesomeIFF is created to cel-  Khan Productions’ Partition drama,  tells its story through countless voices.  a  movement  that  amplifies  under-
            ebrate independent voices and give   directed by Rajkumar Santoshi along   Additional Selection include in-  represented voices and connects the
            filmmakers a global platform in New   with Destination Oak Tree Road —  ternationally recognized  selections   global creative community through
            York, the greatest city of the world.  an Emmy-honored story out of New   such as Unspoken — a young Polish   storytelling.
            Guided by its theme “Cinema With-  Jersey. The Red Market — a thriller   acrobat chases his dream while living   Where Every Story Deserves a
            out Borders,” the one-day festival   from a U.S. Navy veteran director.  with a stutter. Mukunã: Aprendiz   Stage. Cinema Without Borders.
            brings  together  filmmakers,  produc-  Hello  Dad  —  an  emotional  family   de Pajé — Indigenous tradition and   For tickets, programming and
            ers, industry leaders, artists and audi-  drama.  Immortality  —  an  AI-craft-  environmental stewardship in Brazil.   additional information, visit aweso-
            ences for a full day of screenings and   ed narrative on what it means to   Cartapesta: Carnival of Fano — Ita-  meiff.com or follow @awesomeiff
            networking.                       live forever. The Man and the Mon-  ly’s centuries-old carnival craft. Two   on Instagram. Organizations inter-
                Alongside Batwara 1947, the fes-  key — he came looking for the “real”  Steps — she forgot the cruelty; the   ested in sponsorship or partnership
            tival will present its official selections   India and found himself. What We   other never did and Baba — an un-  opportunities should contact the or-
            across documentary, narrative, ani-  Deserve  —  in  humanity’s  absence,  expected visit unearths years of bur-  ganizers.

                                                                   www.TheIndianEYE.com

| 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 |