The 2018 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) was launched on Friday morning in Melbourne in presence of the festival's chief guests - Rani Mukherji, Vicky Kaushal, Raju Hirani, Richa Chadha, Freida Pinto, Ali Fazal and many more.
The festival opens with Love Sonia on Friday night which is the story of Sonia, a young Indian village girl whose life changes irrevocably when she is entrapped in the global sex trade while trying to save her beloved sister Preeti. Battling with a strength she didn’t know she had and determined not to become one of the 800,000 women and children who are victims of the international sex trade industry every year, Sonia’s searing journey spans three continents and a lifetime of experiences.
Source: SBS
The directorial debut of Tabrez Noorani (line producer on Slumdog Millionaire, Life of Pi, and Zero Dark Thirty), the film stars Freida Pinto, Richa Chadha, Mrunal Thakur and Rajkumar Rao. The film is inspired by Noorani’s own experiences combating the scourge of human trafficking.
"Almost entire story except for the names is based on real experiences. It tells us what the world really is. It is a story which had to be told," said Frieda Pinto who plays a lead role in the film.
The festival this year will showcase 69 films in 22 languages based on the theme of ‘inclusion’.
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IFFM Festival Director, Mitu Bhowmick said, “Our theme this year is inclusion, so whether it’s about gender, sexuality, race, being differently abled, or just being an outsider, this year’s schedule reflects the full spectrum of human experiences and how Indian cinema is shifting to represent more of them.”
The annual Awards Night will take place on August 12 at the Palais Theatre in Melbourne.
This year Indian Bollywood star, Rani Mukherjee will be awarded the ‘Excellence in Cinema’ Award, whose film “Hichki” focuses on overcoming a physical challenge with sheer determination and positivity.
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She will also hoist the Indian flag at Federation Square to mark India’s Independence Day on August 11th and later talk about her films and career with Rajeev Masand in the evening.
Some of the films which will be part of the festival this year are Padmaavat, Sanju, Padman, October, Victoria and Abdul, the Extraordinary journey of the Fakir among many.
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The festival will close on August 22nd with Rohena Gera's 'Sir', a poignant tale of two individuals hailing from different socioeconomic backgrounds. The film is an emotional love story that revolves around Ratna a housemaid and Ashwin her employer and their impossible and tumultuous relationship of ups and downs.
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