Press Release
For Immediate Release
October 15, 2008
Media Contact: press@thirdi.org
3rd I: San Francisco International South Asian Film Festival (SFISAFF)
Ready for its Sixth Run in 2008
Brava Theater • November 13 & 14, 2008
Castro Theater • November 15 & 16, 2008
SAN FRANCISCO, CA - 3rd I, the Bay Area’s premiere showcase for South Asian film, proudly announces the program for 3rd I: San Francisco International South Asian Film Festival. The 2008 festival opens on Thursday, November 13 at the Brava Theatre in
San Francisco’s Mission District. This year the festival expands to four days and two venues: Brava Theater, Thursday & Friday, November 13 & 14; and at the historic
Castro Theater, Saturday & Sunday, November 15 & 16.
From art-house classics to documentary films, innovative and experimental visions to next-level Bollywood, 3rd I is committed to promoting diverse images of South Asians through independent film. This year the festival will showcase films from India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, and from the South Asian diaspora in South Africa, UK and the USA.
As always, the focus of Opening night is on homegrown talent and this year we feature two California-based filmmakers: local filmmaker Saqib Mausoof brings his film KALA PUL (Black Bridge); and KISSING COUSINS by Amyn Kaderali (Bay Area-born, now Los Angeles based).
Other highlights include: RAMCHAND PAKISTANI by Mehreen Jabbar which screened to much acclaim at the Tribeca Film Festival. The film is based on a true event, about a Pakistani Hindu boy and his father who accidentally cross the border into India from their village in Pakistan and spent five years in an Indian prison. The filmmaker lives in New York, and is available for phone interviews.
Bombay-based documentarian Nishtha Jain returns to the festival with her latest offering, LAKSHMI AND ME, a candid look at class issues in a raidly modernizing India. Jain will be present for a Q & A at the festival. Also screening is Vishal Bhardwaj’s MAQBOOL, a masterful reworking of Shakespeare’s Macbeth set in the Bombay underworld, starring Irrfan Khan (NAMESAKE, WARRIOR). Bhardwaj also directed the dark drama OMKARA (OTHELLO) that moved audiences two years ago at the festival.
In addition, the festival has several co-productions with the US, Denmark, France & Germany, including a screening of the stunningly restored print (by the BFI) of the 1929 film A THROW OF DICE (Pranpancha Pash) with a remarkable new score by Nitin Sawhney. 3rd I has featured other films by Franz Osten at previous festivals: SHIRAZ (3rd I; 2003) and PREM SANYAS (co-presented at the 2004 Silent Film festival).
The festival website (www.thirdi.org/festival) goes live on October 15, 2008 and will include the full festival lineup and information on tickets and passes. For more information about the festival, please email ivan@atasite.org or call 415/ 835-4738.
For press materials, including screeners and photos, please contact press@thirdi.org.