MOSAIC INTERNATIONAL SOUTH ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL (MISAFF)
CATCH DEEPA MEHTA’S FUNNY BOY
Deepa Mehta’s Funny Boy is Canada’s entry to the 2021 Academy Awards.
Now in its eighth year, Canada’s leading South Asian film festival, the Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival (MISAFF) returns virtually in this year of COVID-19 related restrictions, featuring Canada’s submission to the 2021 Oscars, Deepa Mehta’s Funny Boy as its opening red-carpet gala film in partnership with the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).
The film will air on CBC on December 4 followed by a virtual Q&A with the filmmakers. MISAFF will also host the cast and crew via an online red-carpet event preceding the screening of the film.
Running from December 4 December 12, the festival will showcase 12 fiction films, three documentaries and 28 shorts from Canada, India, USA, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Singapore, UK, Lebanon, and Iran.
This year, the festival has chosen films that look at stories of everyday people who struggle and fight against despair, isolation, injustice, religious/sectarian strife, and power struggles.
“MISAFF has created seven years of memories for filmmakers and cinephiles who enjoy South Asian cinema. We held red carpet gala events with film screenings and parties, industry panels and created great safe spaces for people to be able to meet each other and rub elbows with the stars.” said Festival Director Arshad Khan. “This year presents the most unusual challenges, but we hope to bring back some of that connection through great cinema and Q&A sessions online with MISAFF 2020. With a mix of different genres and styles of storytelling, MISAFF will be, as always, a cutting-edge festival with something for everyone but a stunningly curated selection of films. There will be a juried competition for the features and shorts with some incredible players from the industry taking part in the decisions for top awards. We will be here to make new MISAFF memories with you.”
“In these unprecedented times, we are so grateful to still be able to support the artists and provide the community and film lovers with the opportunity to watch and engage with great cinema from the South Asian diaspora.” said Advisory Board Director Anya McKenzie. “We could not have done this without the incredible support from our funders, volunteers, and esteemed partners. In these darker times, we recognize how important it is to preserve the light and our culture, and we at MISAFF hope we can offer that with this year’s incredible film line-up.”
In addition to the films, this year’s festival is offering a slew of virtual industry events including a Masterclass with Deepa Metha presented by Telefilm Canada, Q&As with the filmmakers and the announcement of the 2020 MISAFF Star presented by ACTRA Diversity.
Kings of Mulberry Street is the story of two Kwazulu Natal boys who defeat the bullying local crime lord through their belief that one can be a Bollywood hero.
Notable films at the festival include the Canadian feature Sin La Habana (Without Havana) directed by Kaven Nabtia. The film which explores the relationship of a young couple whose bright future is thwarted by Cuba’s closed borders, recently screened at the Festival du Noveau Cinema (FNC) where it was awarded the Diffusion Award. Other highlights include the North American premiere of Parallel Lines directed by Kiran R, Trijya Radius, directed by Akshay Indikar, Ketu directed by Amartya Bhattaraiyya, Waiting (Intezaar) directed by Sakina Samo, I Am You directed by Sonia Cole and the controversial feature Circus Of Life (Zindagi Tamasha) directed by Sarmad Khoosat. Pakistan recently suspended the release of the award-winning film, after an Islamist political party objected to its portrayal of a struggling cleric.
MISAFF is also proud to showcase Canadian made films including White Elephant directed by Andrew Chung, and Forbidden Reel directed by Ariel Nasr.
This year, MISAFF’s selection of short films are divided into five themes – The Children are Watching, Canadian Shorts, Her Story to Tell and Spirituality/Connectedness and Self Discovery.
Top picks include Show & Tell directed by Sakshi Gurnani about parents who aren’t sure how to deal with their six-year old effeminate son; Bully directed by Adhip Iyer, exploring the story of a schoolboy who copes with bullying at school and at home; the world premiere of Jala directed by Teyama Alkamli which follows the story of an 11-year old girl who wants to shave her legs for synchronized swimming but her mother won't allow it; the world premiere of One Way Glass, directed by Nauman Khalid about a dissatisfied woman who copes with an abusive husband and secrets; and Desire, directed by Garima Kaul exploring the idea of what it’s like to be asexual.
For a full list of films and the schedule, visit www.MISAFF.com.