Swara Bhaskar accepts Engendered Breakthrough Performance Award,
Deepa Mehta accepts Engendered Torch Bearer Award
Onir accepts Kholat’s Engendered Spirit of Independent Cinema Award
Bani J accepts Engendered Agent of Change Award.
Our Bureau
New Delhi
To commemorate International Human Rights Day on December 10th, Engendered, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating awareness around issues of gender, sexuality and marginalities, launched the 3rd iteration of I-View World, a global, HYBRID, human rights film festival comprised of shorts, documentaries and feature films from India, Pakistan, Canada, United Kingdom, Italy, Argentina, Sweden, Netherlands, Australia, Turkey/Syria, Iran and Thailand. The festival continues through December 20th and is available to audiences from India and New York City at plexigo.com website.
The opening night screening of Oscar-nominated director Deepa Mehta’s Funny Boy, also Canada’s official entry to the 2021 Oscars, was preceded by a star-studded, socially distant, COVID-conscious red carpet at DLF Cyber Hub open air ampitheater in Gurgaon, Haryana, and followed by Engendered’s Impact Awards.
Deirdre Kent, Canada’s Deputy High Commissioner in India presented the following three awards:
- Engendered Torch Bearer Award – Deepa Mehta
- Engendered Spirit of Independent Cinema Award – Onir
- Engendered Global Impact Award – Richie Mehta’s Netflix web series Delhi Crime, accepted by actor Rajesh Tailang
Jonathan Kennedy, Director of Arts for the British Council presented:
- Engendered Independent Actress of the Year Award – Sayani Gupta
Louise Varvsten – Second Secretary of the Swedish Embassy presented:
- Engendered Agent of Change Award – Bani J
Victoria Molteni & Carlos Muscari, Second Secretaries of the Embassy of Argentina in India presented the following two awards:
- Engendered Creative Force of the Year Award – Vivek Gomber
- Engendered Emerging Artist of the Year Award – Faraz Arif Ansari
Sharad Mehra, Head of Executive Leadership at Pearl Academy presented:
- Engendered Breakthrough Performance Award – Swara Bhaskar
On Friday, December 11, I-View World host TWO physical, socially-distant, Covid-conscious screenings of Rohena Gera’s Sir and Faraz Arif Ansari’s Sheer Qorma at the PVR Cinemas in Chanakyapuri Mall, followed by a round table discussion on “Independent Cinema and the Politics of Representation.” And on Sunday, December 20, I-View World will host a physical, socially-distant, Covid-conscious screening of its closing night film, Sarmad Khoosat’s Zindagi Tamasha, Pakistan’s official entry to the 2021 Oscars, with the director in attendance virtually.
Some of the other virtual highlights this week include Arshad Khan’s documentary Abu, exploring the troubled relationship between the gay filmmaker and his devout, Muslim Pakistani father, and And Then We Danced, the passionate coming-of age tale set amidst the conservative confines of modern Georgian society.
NYC South Asian Film Festival is the festival partner.
