Southasianfilmfestival booklet

Welcome to DCSAFF 2018:
Manoj Singh
Festival Director
Geeta Singh
Festival Director
Welcome to the Seventh Annual DC South Asian Film Festival (DCSAFF), a collaborative
effort made possible by the generous support of sponsors, advertisers, our wonderful
volunteers, and members of the community.
We extend personal warm welcome and thanks to DCSAFF and Women in Film and
Television (WIFT) distinguished guests who have come to the DCSAFF 2018 and Washington
DC.
In few years DCSAFF has become an event to look forward to by DC Metro area residents.
We have premiered award winning independent feature films, short films, and
documentaries made by South Asians from around the world.
This year the theme of the DCSAFF 2018 is “Women Empowerment”. The films will be
screened from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and USA. Independent films are by upcoming
creative filmmakers and provide a unique and meaningful perspective. All films
have English subtitles. The Festival has fifteen Feature Films, Seventeen Short Films,
Seven Documentaries, Two Music Videos, Two Workshops, Several Q&A/In Conversation
Sessions and Two Panel Discussions.
Some of the highlights this year are: DCSAFF is hosting WIFT Awards Gala Night on Sept
8 th , 2018 in Washington DC. You will get to meet International Icon Actor Aishwarya
Rai Bachchan; Academy Nominated Actor Candy Clark; well-known Directors Boney
Kapoor, Zoya Akhtar, Mehreen Jabbar, Namrata Singh Gujral, and Shehrbano Saiyid;
Producer Catherine Hand, Casting Director Kimberly Skyrme, Actors Swara Bhaskar,
Aamina Skeikh, Vibhav Roy,Suraj Sharma, and Jhanvi Kapoor.
As part of our mission we believe that it’s important to give back to society. We are
proud to announce that last year we furnished class rooms and constructed a Cultural
Stage for performance, in government schools in MP, India. We participated (Shrum
Daan/Labor Donation) and helped financially to construct Over Flow Dam for holding
rain water on the Machwasa River at Pipariya, MP, India.
Please provide feedback to us at info@dcsaff.com, your responses will help us improve
our services for a better experience next time. Enjoy the movies, workshops, panel
discussions, Q&A Sessions, with our guests, and most importantly have fun!
Sincerely,
Manoj and Geeta Singh

DCSAFF in collaboration with Women in Film and Television Welcomes
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Aishwarya Rai is an Indian actress, model and the winner of
the Miss World 1994 pageant. Through her successful acting
career, she has established herself as one of the most popular
and influential celebrities in India. Ms. Rai has received numerous
accolades, including two Filmfare Awards from eleven
nominations. She was honored with the Padma Shri by the
Government of India in 2009 and the Ordre des Arts et des
Lettres by the Government of France in 2012. She has often been cited in the media as
"the most beautiful woman in the world". Rai garnered critical appreciation for portraying
a passionate artist in the Tamil romance Kandukondain Kandukondain (2000),
Tagore's heroine, Binodini, in the Bengali film Chokher Bali (2003), a depressed woman
in the drama Raincoat (2004), Kiranjit Ahluwalia in the British drama Provoked (2006),
and a nurse in the drama Guzaarish (2010). Rai's greatest commercial successes have
been the romance Mohabbatein (2000), the adventure film Dhoom 2 (2006), the historical
romance Jodhaa Akbar (2008), the science fiction film Enthiran (2010), and the
romantic drama Ae Dil Hai Mushkil (2016). Her off-screen roles include duties as a
brand ambassador for several charity organizations and campaigns. She is a Goodwill
Ambassador for the Joint United Nations Program on AIDS (UNAIDS). In 2003, she was
the first Indian actress to be a jury member at the Cannes Film Festival.
Boney Kapoor
Boney Kapoor started his career working under legends like Shakti
Samanta. The most famous film produced by him remains the
Shekhar Kapur directed sci-fi film Mr India starring Anil Kapoor and
Sridevi. It was the second biggest hit of 1987 and remains a cult
classic in India. The film was known for several of its lines and
songs, including Sridevi's "Miss Hawa Hawaii" performance and
Amrish Puri's quote "Mogambo khush hua" (Mogambo is pleased),
which is one of the most famous quotes of Bollywood and has become synonymous
with Puri. The Mogambo character is considered to be one of the best villains in Bollywood
history. Boney Kapoor is son of the late Surinder Kapoor who was a Bollywood
film producer. His brothers (Anil and Sanjay) are actors and producers
Janhvi Kapoor
Janhvi is a upcoming Actor in Indian Film Industry, she recently
acted in her first film Dhadak. Janhvi studied at Dhirubhai Ambani
International School and Lee Strasberg Theatre and Film
Institute.

Zoya Akhtar
Zoya made her directorial debut with Luck By Chance (2009),
starring her brother Farhan Akhtar and Konkana Sen Sharma.
It tells the story of a struggling actor who breaks into the industry.
The film was well received by critic. In 2011, she directed
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, a multistarrer with Hrithik
Roshan, Abhay Deol, Farhan Akhtar, Katrina Kaif and Kalki
Koechlin. It turned out to be a huge box office success and was
well received by critics and won her the Filmfare Award for Best Director. Zoya Akhtar
is the daughter of poet, lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar and screenwriter Honey
Irani. She attended Maneckji Cooper and earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from St.
Xavier's College, both in Mumbai. Later, she joined the New York University Film
School to learn film production. Zoya started her career as co-director of a music video
called Price of Bullets for a rock band called Pentagram. She has worked as a casting
director for films including Dil Chahta Hai and Split Wide Open, and as an assistant director
for her brother Farhan Akhtar's films Lakshya and Dil Chahta Hai. She also
worked as an executive producer for her longtime partner Reema Kagti's Honeymoon
Travels Pvt. Ltd.
Catherine Hand
Ms. Hand is one of the Producers of the movie A Wrinkle in Time
starring Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon. She is the President
and CEO of Catherine Hand Media. Catherine served as the Deputy
Director, Communications and Public Liaison for US Office of
Personnel Management (OPM) during Director John Berry’s tenure.
She was part of the core leadership team involved in communicating
both policy and political decisions. At the OPM, she
coordinated dozens of events, supervised the day-to-day management of the agency's
intranet website, and the production of videos and webcasts.
Kimberly Skyrme
Kimberly Skyrme Casting is a full-service casting company connecting
actors with television, film, and commercial productions
on the East Coast. She is well known for casting of Netflix Series
House of Cards.
Petrina D’Rozario
Petrina is CEO and Creative Director at a not-for-profit organisation
WIFT(Women in Film & Television), chapter in India. She
founded, setup and spearhead the shaping of WIFT India and has
been responsible for the development of the chapter’s strategy. I
conceptualised, marketed, raised funds & produced the National
Anthem as a celebration to women empowerment which featured
40 women from across different film fraternities in India.

DCSAFF 2018 Welcomes All the Guests
Feature Films and Documentary:
Candy Clark
Candace June "Candy" Clark is an American actress and model.
She is well known for her roles as Debbie Dunham in the 1973
film American Graffiti, for which she received a nomination for
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, and Mary Lou in the
1976 film The Man Who Fell to Earth. Clark's first acting role was
the character of Faye in John Huston's film Fat City in 1972. Clark
starred or acted in The Man Who Fell to Earth (1976), The Big Sleep (1978), Blue Thunder
(1983), Amityville 3-D (1983), Cat's Eye (1985) and At Close Range (1986). Clark
played the role of Francine Hewitt in The Blob (1988).
Clark appeared in the 2009 film The Informant! as the mother of Mark Whitacre,
played by Matt Damon. In 2011, Clark went to Berlin to work on the play Images of
Louise Brooks, directed by Sven Mundt.
She also has made guest appearances on television series, including Dating Game,
Magnum, P.I., Banacek, Simon & Simon, Matlock, Baywatch Nights and Criminal Minds.
Namrata Singh Gujral
Namrata Singh Gujral is an Indian-American producer, actress,
writer and speaker of Sikh faith, who is also a breast cancer survivor
and a cancer advocate. For her work as a filmmaker for Warner
Bros “1 a Minute”, starring Olivia Newton-John, Billy Baldwin,
Lisa Ray, Lifetime TV has honored Gujral as one of their
“Remarkable Women” making her the first Indian-American to
join the ranks of other esteemed notables on the list such as
Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton. Gujral’s upcoming projects include the comedy 5
Weddings, a romance drama, Himalayan Rhapsody, the Sci-Fi action Still and the war
drama Tie That Binds. Gujral also serves as President of UniGlobe Entertainment, making
her the first among her generation of South Asian-Americans in Hollywood, to successfully
affiliate her company with a major Hollywood Studio (Warner Bros). In the
acting field, Gujral is the first actress to work in high profile Hollywood and Bollywood
projects in her first year in the industry. The role she garnered rave reviews for, is her
portrayal of “Shelley” in Warner Bros “Americanizing Shelley”, with Beau Bridges and
Wil Wheaton.

Mehreen Jabbar
Mehreen is a prolific and critically acclaimed Pakistani-American
director and producer. Her extensive two decade long career
includes TV series such as Daam, Doraha, Kahaniyaan, Mera
Naam Yousuf Hai, Jackson Heights, as well a number of made for
TV films and short films like Lala Begum, Beauty Parlor & Daughters
of the Late Colonel. She has earned numerous accolades and
awards for her work, which has consistently brought her both
commercial and critical success. Mehreen’s first feature film titled ‘Ramchand Pakistani’
premiered in competition at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2008. It was awarded the
FIPRISCI Prize by the International Federation of Film Critics, the Satyajit Ray Award at
the London Film Festival and was screened at the Museum of Modern Art in New York
for a week long run. Mehreen has been a member of the National Board of Film Censors
in Karachi, a founding member of the KaraFilm Festival in Karachi, Pakistan and a
founder member of the NGO WAR (War Against Rape). In 2012 She was invited to the
Maisha Film Lab in Uganda – a non-profit training lab founded by director Mira Nair to
be a directing mentor.
Aamina Sheikh
Aamina Sheikh is a Pakistani actress and former model. Sheikh
has worked as a spokesperson for the French beauty brand L'Oreal.
In 2008, Sheikh appeared in three telefilms: Aasmaan Chu Lay,
Pachees Qadam Pe Maut and Baarish Mein Deewar. She has also
acted in Seedlings (2013), O21 (2014) and Josh (2013). Sheikh
was born in New York City and spent her childhood in Karachi
and Saudi Arabia. In Karachi she did her O and A levels, then
studied film video production at Hampshire College, Amherst, Massachusetts, and
worked as an assistant at a Manhattan-based production company.
Shehrbano Saiyid
She is a freelance Documentary Film Maker; she has worked as
Reporter/Writer at Geo TV Network and was Consultant at Agha
Khan Rural Support Program. Shehrbano is Social Studies graduate
from Lahore University of Management Sciences and has
Masters in Broadcast Journalism from Columbia University.
Vibhav Roy
Vibhav started his career playing the main lead in Gustakh Dil on
Life OK. The success paved way for him to portray lead roles of
Ishaan in Zee TV’s Doli Armaano Ki and Star TV's Kuch Toh Hai
Tere Mere Darmiyaan. The role of Itaat Khan in Sanjay Leela
Bhansali's magnum opus Padmavat was his break into movies.
He plays 'Fahd Khan' in Sony Pictures release Lashtam Pashtam.

Swara Bhaskar
Swara Bhaskar is an Indian actress who is best known for her
roles in mainstream productions, and starring roles in independent
films. She has won two Screen Awards and has been nominated
for Filmfare Award on three occasions. She well known for her
roles in Raanjhanaa (2013), Nil Battey Sannata (2015) and Tanu
Weds Manu (2011). Before Bhaskar started acting in films she
was associated with N. K. Sharma's "Act One" theater group in
Delhi. She shifted to Mumbai in 2008[8] and made her acting debut with the 2009 film
Madholal Keep Walking, which was screened at the 33rd Cairo International Film Festival.
She has also played a supporting role in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's drama Guzaarish
(2010), alongside Hritik Roshan and Aishwariya Rai. Bhaskar grew up in Delhi, where
she did her schooling from Sardar Patel Vidyalaya and subsequently studied English
literature at Delhi University's Miranda House and did her masters in Sociology from
Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi.
Suraj Sharma
Suraj Sharma was one of 3,000 to audition for the role of Pi in Life
of Pi (2012)... Several rounds of auditions ended when director
Ang Lee chose Sharma because of his expressive eyes and innocent
appearance. He intends to continue working in filmmaking in
some capacity. He is currently attending a Mass Communication
course at New York University. In 2014, he portrayed Aayan Ibrahim,
nephew of a terrorist, in season 4 of the Showtime political thriller series Homeland.
That same year, he portrayed Rinku Singh in the sports biopic Million Dollar Arm.
He then co-starred with Tony Revolori in the Indian comedy-drama Umrika, which
premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. In 2016, he starred in the Mongolian-
American adventure drama film Burn Your Maps. He has also portrayed the role of
Kanan Gill in his first Bollywood venture, Anshai Lal's romance comedy Phillauri costarring
Anushka Sharma and Diljit Dosanjh.
Manav Bhalla
Manav Bhalla made his debut film while working a full-time day
job in Dubai and traveling around the world. When he had
moved to Dubai, he made friends with Pakistanis and the seed of
telling this friendship story to the world. Bhalla feels quite emotional
and proud having worked with the legendary Mr. Om Puri
on Om ji’s last film and his first.

Piyush Punjani
Piyush is the director of our opening night film. An avid filmmaker
for over 18 years, Piyush has produced and directed almost 250
advertising films. The creative genesis began with a passionate
experience as a theater actor. After graduating in Marketing Management,
he worked his way into the advertising world, from an
assistant director to building his own ad film production company,
EQUUS. The theater experience became his training ground
that brought out his sensitivities to a wide range of human emotions and expressions.
He has successfully shot / post produced TV commercials in countries like Australia,
UK, Singapore, Bangkok, Dubai, and Africa. The global experience has allowed him to
successfully communicate a cinematic language of storytelling that has a universal appeal.
His films have won almost a dozen awards. He has been on the panel of Jury (Film
Craft) for prestigious Advertising Awards and was the chairperson of the Jury – Abby
2013.
Koustav Bhattacharya
Koustav Bhattacharya is a management graduate by profession
and film maker by choice. A native of Kolkata, he has a keen
interest on literature and Indian history. He is a completely self
taught film maker and has been making short films for a decade.
His last short film KINTSUKUROI was selected in a number of
festivals in India and abroad. It has by now attracted around
650K views in Youtube. This is his first feature film where he has
played the dual role of Writer/Director. He describes this film as a tribute to the rich
culture of Bengali Ghost Stories of which he carries a childhood full of memories.
Documentary and Short Films:
Vijay Pujara: Director Rufus King Park
Suneeta Misra: Looking for Mr. Right
Mansoor Ahmed: Director Tele-phone
Sri Mirajkar: Habaneros
Vigil Bose: Fall
Nina Srivastava: Husband, Wife, and The Banana
Vick Krishna: Moksha
Monika Samtani: Bee the future

Workshops:
Professor Claudia Myers and Meera Narasimhan: Casting to Direction
Claudia Myers is a full-time professor in the Film & Media Arts Division. Claudia recently
wrote and directed her third feature, “Shadow Girl,” starring Olivia Thirlby, Alan
Ritchson and Megan Fox. The film is now in post-production. In 2014 she wrote and
directed the critically acclaimed drama, “Fort Bliss” starring Michelle Monaghan and
Ron Livingston. Prior to this Claudia wrote and directed “Kettle of Fish” with Matthew
Modine and Gina Gershon, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and won a
Nickelodeon Screenwriting Award. Claudia also co-wrote “Wild Oats,” which won second
place at the 2004 Slamdance Screenplay Competition. Claudia’s films and screenplays
have won more than a dozen awards and screened at numerous festivals both
domestically and internationally.
Meera Narasimhan has been performing in theater/films for four decades in India and
in the USA. She has acted in many community theater productions, in professional
plays and in the DC cap-fringe festival in the DC-metro area for over thirty years. She
has also acted in numerous feature films, short films, commercials, industrials, and in
shows on NBC, HBO, FOX, TV pilots, and in a music video. Meera hosted a monthly TV
show “Potluck” on FPA/DC-NoVA. Her hobbies include collecting degrees (JD, 2xMAs,
BS) and careers (medical, educational, journalistic, legal, and acting).
Professor Biljana “B” Milenkovic: Smart Phone Film Making
Biljana “B” Milenkovic is an accomplished multi-media professional with more than
two decades of experience. Professor “B” teaches Intro to Television Production and
several Workforce Development and Continuing Education classes, including
Smartphone Video Production, at Montgomery College, her alma mater.
Closing Night Panel Discussion – Diversity and Inclusion, Challenges of Film
Funding:
Candy Clark, Catherine Hand, Kimberly Skyrme, Namrata Singh Gujral, Petrina
D’Rozario, Swara Bhaskar,
Closing Night Entertainment:
Music Videos Deep Blue She and Heptanesia
Tanuja Desai Hidier is an author, singer-songwriter, and innovator of the
‘booktrack’ (albums of original songs to accompany her novels). Her debut novel, Born
Confused—considered to be the first ever South Asian American YA novel—recently
turned 15. Born Confused has been hailed by Rolling Stone Magazine, Entertainment
Weekly, and Paste Magazine as one of the greatest. Her most recent project - DEEP
BLUE SHE music video/PSA, is based on a track from her second album, and features
100+ artist/activists. Ode to Bombay/Mumbai from Tanuja Desai Hidier’s album Bombay
Spleen: songs based on her award-winning second novel Bombay Blues (the sequel
to Born Confused).
Bhangra Performance
Courtesy Moni Gill.

DCSAFF sincerely appreciates the support of the following people and organizations
for making 2018 film festival possible. We apologize for the omissions
of any names received after the print date.
Directors
Manoj Singh, Geeta Singh, Mansoor Ahmed, Vikram Kolluru, Nausheen Ilahi
WIFT India
Petrina D’Rozario, President, Planning and Coordination
Selection and Awards Jury
Vasant Nayak, Vandana Narang, Shirish A. Néné, Ila Dave, Petrina D’Rozario,
Joe S. Khera
Platinum Sponsors
Montgomery College
Gold Sponsors:
Murthy Nayak Foundation
Frank Islam & Debbie Driesman Foundation
Silver Sponsors:
Chawla & Chawla PC
Turkish Airlines
Bridal Elegance
Bronze Sponsors
TiE-DC
Maryland Film Office
Medical Access
Law Offices of Aparna Dave
Community Sponsors:
Immigration Attorney Aparna Dave
Karma by Erwin Gomez
Community Leader Dr. Sambhu Banik
JMD Creations
Fatima Floral Weddings and Events
Narmada Winery
Global Television Networks
Wolf Trap

Media Partners
Chitrmala, TV Asia, Voice of America, Asian Ocean Media, Culture Spot Montgomery
County, American Bazaar Online, India Abroad, India Current, India
This Week and India Express, MYTV, Aaj News, MCTV, PILUPU TV, Daily, The
Hindu, Hindustan Times, Ms Media
MCs and HOSTS
Dr. Sanjay Rai, Debra Fyodorov, Dr. Kimberly Kelley, Ms. Monika Samtani, Petrian
D’Rozario (WIFT India), Mansoor Ahmed
Photography and Videography
Sheila Reyes-Bunnag, Vikram Kolluru, Mansoor Ahmed
Catering Partner
Diya Bistro
Host Facility and Security
Debra Fyodorov, Dr. Kelley Kimberly
Technical Support
Mansoor Ahmed, Vikram Kolluru
Website Support
Rob Ratcliffe, The Inkline (Maneesh Verma)
Print and Graphics
Vikram Kolluru, Rob Ratcliffe
Ticketing
Geeta Singh, Sonam Kapoor Anand, Vikram Kolluru, Debra Fyodorov
DCSAFF Planning Meetings Hospitality
Retd Col. Sajjan and Shelly Kamal
Volunteers
Uzma Hashmi, Meera Narashiman, Jagruti Mahante, Kiran Chadda, Krishna
Ramaswamy, Sangeeta Mehra, Hema Ahmed, Sanjay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor
Anand, Neeta Datt, Deepna Anand, Divesh Anand, Rupali Gaitonde, Arvind
Sharma, Vanmala Sharma, Sumedha Malhotra, Rashmi Nair, Anu Gupta, Niraj
Gupta
Transportation
Singh Limo, Sanjay Mehta, Vikram Kolluru, Manoj Singh, Geeta Singh

Dear Manoj,
On behalf of Turkish Airlines I wish to congratulate you and your team for organizing
the 7th Annual DC South Asian Film Festival. Needless to say, as Turkish
Airlines we are happy to be participating as DCSAFF’s travel partner for this
year. South Asia including Bangladesh, India, Nepal & Pakistan as well as Sri
Lanka is one of our topmost destinations that we serve and with this partnership
between DCSAFF and Turkish Airlines we hope to reach a wider section of
the South Asian community.
I wish the Film Festival all success.
Warm regards,
Erkan Erdogan
General Manager – Washington DC
Turkish Airlines