The 8th Indian Film Festival of Ireland (IFFI) kicks off today, running until Sunday.
There will be an opening night red carpet with many guests from the stage and screen invited.
Respected Indian actor Rahul Bose will be in attendance with his inspirational and critically acclaimed directorial feature Poorna.
The festival will close with Halal Daddy, a comedy directed by Conor McDermottroe about a Sligo meat plant that was bought by a Muslim businessman. The stellar cast of the film will be attending the screening.
We painstakingly selected films for the 2017 programme that will showcase the various emerging trends in Indian cinema from old classics to the latest films. Indian filmmaking is renowned across the world for its unique artistry in storytelling and incredible creativity and I’m confident we will thrill our audience again this year.
Indian cinema has a unique power to cross cultures and tears down societal barriers. We chose to open this year’s Festival with Poorna, the story of Poorna Malavath, a 13-year-old girl from a tribal Indian village who became the youngest girl to scale Mount Everest in 2014. The festival will close with Halal Daddy, a movie that showcases multicultural Ireland at its very best. It was filmed in beautiful Sligo and is the first Irish film with an ethnic family at the centre.
Indian film is always a force to be reckoned with in the world cinema scene. This year there will be free screenings of films at selected public places in remembrance of two outstanding names synonymous with masterpiece Indian cinema, Om Puri and Vinod Khana.
IFFI Festival Director Siraj Zaidi.
FULL PROGRAMME
15th September: Dundrum Cinema
The Festival Red Carpet Opening at 5 pm
Poorna screening at 6pm
16th September: Dundrum Cinema.
Naam Shabana at 4pm.
16th September: Rathmines Public Library.
Dangal at 12pm. Free screening
16th September: Pearse Street Public Library.
100 Foot Journey at 2pm. Tribute to Om Puri Free screening
16th September: DIT Aunger Street.
Two Short Films:
Hostage at 1pm.
Hell O Hello at 1pm
Waiting at 2pm
16th September
IFFI Festival Indian Dinner and Cultural show at the Zion National School. Bushy Park, Rathgar, Dublin 6 at 8:00 pm
17th September UCD Belfield. Free Screening.
The Man who knew Infinity at 12.30pm
17th September. Dundrum Cinema.
Closing Festival Film ceremony at 5pm
Halal Daddy at 7pm