New Delhi. The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne has wrapped up the much-awaited first of four films under the My Melbourne project. The film, which is yet to be titled, is co-directed by Onir and William Duane.
It stars Arka Das, Mouli Ganguly and Jackson Gallagher. The film was shot in five days and the story is based on grief and forgiveness. The film follows the reunion of an estranged Indian man, Indranil, played by Arka, and his father Mihir, played by Mauli, after several years of estrangement.
Onir said, “I am happy to be a part of My Melbourne as it is a unique special film. This is the first time such a unique cross-country initiative has been taken to bridge cultural ties and bring two communities together through cinema. My Melbourne films are diverse and focused on showcasing local talent from Melbourne and I can confirm that there is incredible local talent waiting to be discovered and this project has done just that. My film tells one such story of an integral part of diversity, a humble tale of a father trying to reconnect with his gay son. It was a great experience working and collaborating with the talents of Melbourne. I am glad that Film Victoria and Meetu Bhowmick Lange have taken this step to celebrate cinema and diversity.
Festival Director Mitu Bhowmik Lange says, “This is a very ambitious project of love that celebrates IFFM’s core values – diversity and inclusivity. The main idea is to encourage creative artists emerging from diverse marginalized backgrounds from diverse regions and abilities across Australia. was to provide a platform to people, mentored by some of the best filmmakers in the world. This is a series of four stories woven into a feature film titled My Melbourne, based on authentic expatriate experiences. We cannot be what We can not see”.
IFFM is one of the largest film festivals overseas, in association with the Australian Government. The My Melbourne Project pairs four eminent filmmakers from India to mentor young filmmakers from Australia, which will be shot in Melbourne, on the themes of diversity – race, disability, sexuality and gender. Apart from Onir, the other three films will be directed by Kabir Khan, Imtiaz Ali, and Rima Das.