Voted “Best Film Festival of Houston” by Houston Press, the Indian Film Festival of Houston, Inc. (IFFH) has partnered with Asia Society Texas Center (ASTC) to bring you the 8th annual Indian Film Festival of Houston on October 28 and 29, 2016.

IFFH 2016 will kick off on October 28th with a cocktail reception, entertainment, and film screenings. The Festival will showcase documentaries, shorts and feature films in the state-of-the-art Brown Foundation Performing Arts Theater at Asia Society Texas Center. The closing night program will include screenings with Q&A sessions, award distribution, and a cultural entertainment program. 

Schedule

Friday, October 28, 2016
4:00 – 5:00 pm | Cocktail reception, hors d’oeuvres and live band
5:00 – 5:15 pm | Opening ceremony
5:15 – 7:00 pm | Driving with Selvi, followed by Q&A
7:00 – 9:30 pm | Born to Run – Budhia Singh, followed by Q&A

Saturday, October 29, 2016
4:00 – 4:30 pm | Amdavad Ma Famous—Famous in Ahmedabad, followed by Q&A
4:30 – 5:00 pm | Daaravtha—The Threshold, followed by Q&A
5:00 – 6:00 pm | Cocktail reception and hors d’oeuvres
6:00 – 8:00 pm | Moh Maya Money - In Greed We Trust, followed by Q&A
8:00 – 9:30 pm | Award ceremony with entertainment

Films

Driving with Selvi (Documentary Film)
Director: Elisa Paloschi
Language: English – 74 min.
Selvi, like so many girls in India, is a child bride in a violent marriage. One day she escapes, and goes on to become South India’s first female taxi driver. This is the ten-year journey of a charming, strong, and courageous young woman who defies all expectations, moving beyond the pain she’s experienced to create a new life.

Born to Run – Budhia Singh (Feature Film)
Director: Soumendra Padhi
Language: Hindi, with English Subtitles – 112 min.
A biopic about Budhia Singh, the world’s youngest marathon runner whose story garnered controversy and inspiration around the world.

Amdavad Ma Famous - Famous in Ahmedabad (Documentary Film)
Director: Hardik Mehta
Language: Gujarati, with English Subtitles – 29 min.
Set within the kaleidoscopic backdrop of the kite-flying festival in India, Amdavad Ma Famous, witnesses the transformation of 11-year-old Zaid from a boy-next-door to an aggressive and passionate kite-runner until he comes across a hindrance that prevents him from flying kites on the terrace. Thus begins the fight for the terrace on the day of the biggest kite flying festival in India.

Daaravtha - The Threshold (Short Film)
Director: Nishant Roy Bombarde
Language: Marathi, with English Subtitles – 30 min.
An adolescent Pankaj is discovering his sexuality. Torn between a patriarchal Indian upbringing full of gender-stereotypes and his natural urge to identify with the opposite gender, he finds an opportunity to express his desires within the bounds of cultural ethos.

Moh Maya Money - In Greed We Trust (Feature Film)
Director: Munish Bhardwaj
Language: Hindi, with English Subtitles – 108 min.
A young real-estate broker tries to pull off a huge scam, which goes horribly wrong. To fix everything, he involves his begrudging wife, leading to an end neither could imagine.

Learn more about the films and watch the film trailers on the IFFH website.

About The Indian Film Festival of Houston

The Indian Film Festival of Houston (IFFH) Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization devoted to education in the fields of film and television and in creating a greater appreciation of Indian cinema and culture by showcasing quality films that honor entertainment industry performers and film makers while promoting the diverse perspectives of the Indian Diaspora. IFFH offers events that appeal to cinema buffs and cultural enthusiasts in Houston and beyond. Apart from foreign and domestic visitors, Houston's cultural, educational and business diversity are also well-represented with a significant presence of the Houston consular corps, city officials, Women in Film, the Houston Film Commission, students and faculty from major Houston-area universities, major corporations. For more information, please visit iffhinc.org.

Bank of America is presenting sponsor of Performing Arts & Culture programs. Generous funding also provided by AARP, Nancy C. Allen, CNOOC-NEXEN, the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance, The Clayton Fund, the Cullen Trust for the Performing Arts, and Mickey Rosenau & Dr. Ellen Gritz. Funding is also provided from Friends of Performing Arts & Culture at Asia Society Texas Center, a premier group of individuals and organizations committed to bringing the best in public programming to Houston. This program is presented in collaboration with the Indian Film Festival of Houston.

Presenting Sponsor

Program Sponsors

Presenting Partner