Dehradun to host Australian film festival tomorrow

The Australian Film Festival of India is all set to begin here from Monday and will screen 17 movies including a retrospective on filmmaker Baz Luhrman and a documentary on anti-corruption activist Kiran Bedi.

The festival also held a preview of acclaimed filmmaker John Winter with the screening of his film Black & White & Sex as a prelude to the main event. Winter's film which is about a prostitute portrayed by eight different actresses received the prestigious Australian Teachers of Media (ATOM) award in the best experimental film category last week.

The documentary on Bedi titled Yes Madam Sir which reveals the personal side of the country’s first woman IPS officer will be screened at the festival on December 5. The festival which is the result of a tie-up between Zee News and An Australian Film Initiative (AAFI) will be screened in three cities followed by a 17-city tour through the Federation of Film Societies of India.

“Federation of Film Societies of India taking our Australian films to various cities across India is exactly the exposure Aussie cinema needs in India, a film market Australia has yet to tap, we are humbled by the huge response,” the festival’s founding director Peter Castaldi said.

When asked why Dehradun was chosen to host the event Anupam Sharma, a native of the city, now settled in Australia and one of the festival directors said, “We were only able to start with Dehradun due to the film-friendly and hospitable government of the city.” 

Anupam was part of one of the biggest Australian delegations sent to the prestigious Film Bazaar and International Film Festival of India.