On a mission to showcase some of the funniest international comics, comedian Hasan Minhaj (who was recently signed on to the Daily Show) tests how far they can push comedy that deals with some of the toughest global poverty, gender, and race issues of our time.
West Coast & Bay Area Premiers
Prashant Bhargava in Person!
An explosion of color and sound on the silver screen captures the essence of this program of shorts, with Radhe, Radhe which features a new score by acclaimed Jazz musician Vijay Iyer.
San Francisco Premier
In this stunning and riveting road drama, a young mother searching for her missing husband follows an enigmatic guide through the visually stunning backdrop of the rural Himalayas.
With Special Guest Manoj Shailendra, Bollywood expert and son of famed Bollywood lyricist Shailendra!
Robin Sukhadia returns to 3rd i for a close study of this 1960 blockbuster which is remembered for Naushad's timeless music, and for bringing color to Indian cinemagoers.
3rd i's Bollywood at the Castro is one of the most popular events at the festival! Intensely local, gloriously global and unexpectedly moving, Queen takes Bollywood in a new direction.
Join us for a special reception at the Castro Mezzanine following the screening of the film Dukhtar. Meet all the festival filmmakers up close and personal! Enjoy food and drinks, get your photograph taken with our celebrity guests and let the DJ get your feet wet for our Bollywood at the Castro screening. Click here […]
West Coast Premier
Afia Nathaniel in Person!
The starkly beautiful and forbidding mountains of Pakistan provide the setting for this edge-of-your-seat thriller from Afia Nathaniel. Pakistan’s Official Entry to the Oscars. Followed by Castro Reception with the Filmmakers.
San Francisco Premier
Followed by a live performance by the artists on the occasion of Pt. Chitresh Das' 70th Birthday!
An unlikely friendship develops between the master of precision, Indian kathak dancer Chitresh Das, and freestyler Jason Samuels Smith, African American tap dancer in this magical collaboration captured on film.
San Francisco Premier
Followed by panel discussion
An exceptional and riveting directorial debut, using the great dramatic tradition of forbidden love between lower-caste and upper-caste teenagers to create a powerful multidimensional narrative that’s anything but clichéd.
Bay Area Premier
Filmmaker Kanu Behl in Person!
Perhaps one of the most thrilling films to come out of India this year, Titli is also a family drama—the youngest of a brotherhood of violent carjackers makes the desperate attempt to break away from his dysfunctional family.
US & Bay Area Premiers
Filmmakers, Cast and Crew in Person
This year's selection of shorts -- local, national and international -- employ both drama and comedy to great effect in examining social issues and conflict. Featuring shorts with Omi Vaidya and Wilbur Sargunaraj.
San Francisco Premier
Ravi Patel in Person!
This incredibly funny documentary follows a young man looking for love--and fed up enough to ask his parents to help him find it! Sold Out: Online and At-the-door. There will NOT be a Rush Line at this screening.
A blind photographer regains her vision, a devout monk fights for animal rights, and a stockbroker stumbles upon an illegal organ trade in this astonishing feature debut that was shortlisted by members of the Critics Circle, UK as one of 15 “films that changed their life.”
Filmmaker in Person! Nishtha Jain (City of Photos, Lakshmi and Me) returns to the Bay Area with this thriller disguised as a documentary! In Bundelkhand, India, a revolution is in the making among the fiery women of the Gulabi Gang who empower themselves and take up the fight against gender violence, caste oppression and widespread corruption.
For Prithvi, Sudhir, and Akshaya, cricket is a religion. Both entertaining and enlightening, this doc follows the story of these three characters -- a fan(atic) who bikes across India from game to game, a boy wonder who hopes to be the next Sachin Tendulkar, and a young girl who sees cricket as a way out of poverty. Best Doc, Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles
Filmmaker in Person!
Featuring cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan and model Vaneeza, this visually impressive and insightful doc follows six people as they navigate the turbulent waters of Pakistan’s current crisis. With Short: From Melody Queen to Muslim Madonna
Filmmaker in Person!
A penetrating look at the life of author Alice Walker, who became the first black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for her novel The Color Purple in 1983. Featuring intimate interviews with Walker, the doc focuses on Walker’s inspirational upbringing during years of violent social changes, and her political and social activism.
Filmmakers in Person!
From the forests of Ecuador and the seas of South Asia to a cafe in Cairo and a Sikh barber shop in California, this year’s selection of shorts spans vast distances – both literally and metaphorically – with films that examine both the natural and the cultural, by filmmakers both local and global.
Filmmaker in Person!
When lonely pawnbroker Sarathsiri meets the enigmatic Selvi, he thinks he has finally found a way to escape his past. But a chance visit from an old friend forces the two lovers, from opposite sides of the civil war, to confront their histories and demons. With a tight script, wonderfully nuanced plot and haunting cinematography, this is Sri Lankan independent cinema at its best.
A celebration of 100 Years of Indian Cinema, and a must-see for cinephiles and Indian history enthusiasts! Featuring interviews with the veritable who's who of the Indian film industry, Dungarpur creates a compelling portrait of P.K. Nair -- the founder of the National Film Archive of India and a man with a passion for celluloid.
