Filmi 23!
Filmi Toronto’s South Asian Film Festival – 23 Years!
December 6th – 7th, 2025
Stay tuned for some great films!
21st Filmi: Toronto’s South Asian film festival
Harbourfront Centre
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0 SHORT: Balbir the Barber
Balbir the Barber
Director: Shane Gill
Cast:
Humble the Poet & Shane Gill
Synopsis:
Inspired by the barber shop sequence from Eddie Murphy’s ‘Coming to America’. ‘Balbir the Barber‘ is about a Punjabi Sikh Sardar who opens a barber shop. Opening a barber shop as a Punjabi Sikh Sardar is taboo because it goes against one of the core beliefs of Sikhism which is to not cut their hair. Balbir, accompanied by his two best friends, debate about various topics ranging from the greatest Punjabi singer to the greatest wrestler of all-time. The ‘Turban in the Barber Shop’ is addressed when one of Balbir’s customers is a young Sikh male seeking a haircut for the very first time.
Director :
Shane Gill is a Bay Area based filmmaker who specializes in stories about South Asian diaspora and specifically Sikh Punjabi issues. He has a Bachelor of Art in Film Production from San Francisco State University and has participated in the production of over 25 short and feature length films. In 2011, Shane started his own production company called Fridge Media where he promotes and gives a voice to South Asian topics and artists. Shane has produced and directed music videos and short films in collaboration with South Asian artists all over the world.
Shot on the RED ONE in Union City, CA.
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0 SHORT: White Box
“WHITE BOX”
Directed by Olga Shmaidenko
Length: 2:00 Minutes
Country: Canada
Year: 2014
Cast: Rachel Reddy, Erich Szpytma
Synopsis:
A man confronts his girlfriend after finding a ‘Fair & Lovely’ club-pack in their bathroom.
Director: Olga Shmaidenko
Olga is a Ukrainian-Canadian photographer based in New York City. Her work has been featured in print and online media campaigns and she won 2014’s RAW Manhattan’s photographer of the year award. Olga currently runs two New York-themed photoblogs: RiverFlowsThroughIt and FourLeggedOfNewYork (FLONY). White Box marks her directorial debut.
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0 SHORT: Kirpa
Kirpa
Director: Kiran Rai
Toronto Premiere
Synopsis:
“Kirpa” is a short film about a 23-year-old art student struggling to fulfill the wishes of her parents while pursuing her dreams of becoming an artist. A lack of communication between her and her father makes home life difficult. They both love and want the best for each other, but don’t know how to communicate this without creating further misunderstandings. A healthy relationship is all Kirpa wishes to have with her father, and that is everything he dreamed of since immigrating to Canada and driving a taxi to support the family. But where did it all go wrong? How can she repair one of the most important relationships a young woman has in her life?
This short features all local talent. From the clothing, to the art and music, we have worked to give homegrown talent a platform to share their work in a manner that is both meaningful and empowering.
Director:
KayRay: Kiran Rai, also goes by her pseudonym KayRay, is an upcoming director, actress, model, dancer, youtube vlogger and community activist. She has worked with countless local and international artists and organizations on various projects including music and promotional videos. While training at Toronto Film School for Acting in Theatre, Film and Television, she worked with local artists in the GTA to come up with the concept of ‘Kirpa’. As KayRay’s debut short film, ‘Kirpa’ has taken off by storm with premieres and screenings happening in Toronto, Vancouver, the U.K and California. She hopes to create more content that is relatable to the Panjabi/South Asian diaspora and connect artists to build a bigger platform for her community.
BLOG: www.kayray.co
INSTAGRAM: @kay__ray
TWITTER: @kay__ray
YOUTUBE: www.youtube.com/kayrayco
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0 SHORT: Bisexual Date
Bisexual Date
Genre: Comedy
Director: Garret Henry
Length: 4min56sec
Synopsis:
Our boy Adam thinks he’s got it made, with the sassy city girl Kathleen digging his charm (among other things). Until he finds out that Kathleen happens to be bisexual. Then his insecurities pop up and, well, we’ll leave it up to you to judge how the rest of the date goes.
CREATED AND WRITTEN BY:
Richard Young
Richard Young is Canadian South-Asian writer/actor/producer based in Toronto. His current writing projects include the upcoming Chinese-Canadian OMNI TV special and web series Sudden Master and the upcoming dramatic short Captive Love (starring Art Hindle and Jennifer Dale). His acting television credits include Rookie Blue, Saving Hope, Degrassi and Mayday and he was a lead in Vision TV’s feature film English Butler Masala Chai. On the stage, Richard was cast in the hit South Asian comedy play 30 Dates, which toured across the country to Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal. Richard was also cast in both The Second City’s Educational and Family Companies. There, for two years he honed his comedic skills to leverage into other projects, such as producing/writing/acting in the more-adult web series Off2Kali, which has been profiled by CBC’s Punchline and screened at both the ReelWorld Film Festival (2014, 2013) and Filmi South Asian Film Festival (2013). Also as a writer, his pieces have been published in Maclean’s, The Globe and Mail and The Toronto Star.
CREW:
Director: Garret Henry
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CAST:
Richard Young: https://twitter.com/RichardYoungRY
Katie Boland: https://twitter.com/katieboland
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Social Media Links for the Film:
Creator Website: www.RichardYoungOfficial.com
Creator IMDB: www.imdb.me/richardyoung
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RichardYoungRY
Off2Kali Comedy on facebook: www.facebook.com/off2kali
Off2Kali Comedy on IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2673582
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0 SHORT: Horrid when she’s bad
Horrid When She’s Bad
Director: Firdaus Bilimoria
Synopsis:
She’s a sweet lovely girl, except when she’s not. The story of Katerina, a high performing dysfunctional.
Director: Firdaus Bilimoria
Firdaus is a Toronto-based screenwriter and filmmaker. Originally from Bombay, Firdaus was a New Yorker for many years before he came to Toronto. Firdaus is currently developing his next two shorts and a feature film project. He continues to polish his spec scripts and is also polishing his original TV series bible/ pilot. Firdaus’ short fiction has been published in various anthologies by Toronto publishers. Firdaus was selected for the 2012 ReelWorld Emerging 20 (E20) Program.
http://horridwhenshesbad.com
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0 SHORT: Sebatian
“SEBATIAN”
Writer/Producer – James Fanizza
Director – Rickey Bryant
Synopsis: Alex has just met the love of his life who is leaving to go back home to Argentina forever. Rationally, Alex knows that a relationship is impossible, but in his last ten minutes with Sebastian, will he let him go or take a chance on love?
From Director Rickey Bryant:
Sometimes, the opportunity of love will come into our lives at very inopportune times. We are faced with the challenge of making very quick but life changing decisions-with no guarantee. If we don’t accept this opportunity, we live with regret of what could have been. If we show up for love, our lives are then happier for taking the risk. But what happens when you wait to accept love’s offer? With James Fanizza’s masterfully written script and acting prowess, I was able to present this question in a simple but, inventive way with Sebastian.
We used a stop light backlight theme in each scene that fits the emotion of the two characters. Shooting the film in the downtown Toronto area provided a delightful clutter around a clear-cut conflict. Thanks to the professional, collaborative group brought together by James and I, we succeeded in creating a very concise, but emotional film-start to finish.
Writer James Fanizza says:
“Sebastian is a very personal story for me and, when writing the movie, I wanted to make sure I was true to my own experience while at the same time creating something filmic and enjoyable to watch. I also wanted to make a queer love story that emphasized romance and universality; a story that any viewer could identify with and relate to.
I had developed the script for quite some time with various industry professionals and then, quite suddenly, I received a generous grant from ACTRA Toronto to make the film happen. I brought my good friend, Rickey Bryant, on board to direct the film and from our first meeting, I knew it was going to be a success. He had such a vision for the movie and such an understanding of the characters. He wanted to find a way to film exactly what the script was: a simple love story between two people. He definitely succeeded and I couldn’t be more proud of the work we created together.”
Director:
This is James Fanizza and Rickey Bryant’s first venture into filmmaking. James is an actor and writer, originally from Toronto and Rickey is a director, originally from Buffalo, NY.
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1 SHORT: NOBODY
NOBODY
Director: JONATHAN DUBSKY
WORLD PREMIERE
Synopsis:
A spontaneous event turns Mahima’s world around and everything she thought
about who she is and what her future will be like is challenged. On route to her
engagement party, she looks out the car window and locks eyes with the saintly
Theresa, a homeless woman. From that moment onward, Mahima’s inner life
changes. Although she has a good career, is getting married, and desires to start
a family, she feels that something is missing. Mahima questions: is life just about
being a somebody?
Principal Actors: Fenulla Jiwani, Jani Lauzon & Saad Siddiqui
Supporting Actors: Meher Pavri, Mishu Vellani & Sugith Varughese
2014 FILMI’S ARTIST in PROFILE
Writer/Producer/Actor – Fenulla Jiwani
Fenulla Jiwani is an award winning actress, screenwriter, playwright, producer &
singer/songwriter. From humble beginnings her parents immigrated to Canada
from Uganda with just pennies in their pockets in hopes for a better life. Fenulla
was born in Toronto and her passion and desire for the performing arts began
with her first performance at the age of five in a ballet recital. She trained at
the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts and graduated in 2004. Since
graduating, Fenulla launched FenStar Productions to create compelling stories
that touch the human spirit, expressed through multidisciplinary mediums,
and cast ethnically diverse performers. Fenulla has written and performed
in six of her stage productions “Light of India,” “Bollywood Bonanza,” “The
Source,” “Qalam-e Ishq (Pen of Love),” “30 Dates” and “Paul and Priya’s
Wedding.” Her critically acclaimed production, “30 Dates,” toured Canada for
two years performing at renowned theatres and earned her accolades in major
magazines, newspapers & television. Fenulla is also a passionate singer/
songwriter; in 2012, she released an 18-track album, entitled “Divinity We Are
One” with performances in Canada, USA & India. Fenulla was recently honoured
as the recipient of the 2014 Cayle Chernin Award for her film, ‘NOBODY’. Her
second short, ‘Blackbox Shadow,’ is being shown in festivals internationally.
Fenulla has teamed up with award-winning Director of Film and Television, Gail
Harvey, for her third short entitled ‘Eclipse’ to shoot Fall 2014. She is also writing
a feature film.
www.fenulla.com
www.nobodyfilm.ca
www.facebook.com/Nobodyfilm
twitter.com/fenullafenstar
www.fenstarproductions.com
Director: JONATHAN DUBSKY
Jonathan Dubsky is an award winning director, actor, writer and cinematographer
from Montreal, now residing in Toronto. He found acting at a young age but
only started falling in love with the craft in his late teens. After graduating from
the Theatre program at John Abbott College and then continuing his studies in
Film Production at Concordia University in Montreal, Jonathan began working
both in front of and behind the camera professionally. As a filmmaker, Jonathan
has directed several short films, including “All For Davey”, which won ‘Best
Ensemble’ at the Toronto 48h Film Festival, “Mars Is Laughing at Us”, an official
selection at Reel World 2014, the feature length film “Les Epouvantails” and a
web series, “Cub3d” that received various media attention and press.
IMDB: tinyurl.com/ohtdp3b
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0 SHORT: Anniversary Park
Anniversary Park
Director: Ash Varma
Toronto Premiere
Synopsis: Sachin can’t seem to do anything right and his family & friends, don’t seem to make things any easier.
Director: Ashish has been making short films for many years now. Recently, he has written his first full length film, but has a long road ahead, in developing it into a feature.
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0 CLOSING NIGHT – Touring T.O.
FILMI PRESENTS – A NIGHT OF EPISODES
Sunday, September 28th, 2014
CLOSING NIGHT (WORLD PREMIERE)
FILMI: EPISODES SERIES
“TOURING T.O.”
Synopsis:
Touring T.O. is an eight part miniseries about two unlikely friends, Martin and Omar, and
their intern, Samantha. Together they run a lowbudget rickshaw tour company that
specializes in taking tourists to the unique and obscure landmarks of Toronto. If the
company fails, Omar will lose his work visa and be deported while Martin will be violating
the conditions of his parole and be sent back to prison. Together, the Touring T.O. crew
struggle to keep the company afloat while dealing with tourists as strange as the landmarks
they visit. It’s a scripted comedy that is part educational and part absurd. It is our love letter
to Toronto!
Episodes of “OUT OF TIME”, “GUIDESTONES” and #THATSAHOMEBOY will screen prior to the screening of “Touring T.O”
DIRECTOR: Stephen Papadimitriou
The challenges with Touring T.O. were the lack of money, the size of cast (41), and the
amount of locations scattered around the city. The only reason we made it through was
because we weren’t lacking in a passionate cast and crew. The dedication of the people
involved made everything possible.
Creatively my plan was to utilize all our limitations to our advantage. We designed the look
of the show based off the colours and tones we had available to us. Seeing that we had a
bright yellow rickshaw we decided that nothing else in the show (wardrobe, set dressing)
would be yellow. This, we hope, made the touring companies sole asset stand out every
time it was on screen.
The challenge of a large cast was offset by the fun of developing the characters and their
looks. We wanted to make each part, no matter how big or small, stand out and feel like
they had a life beyond the show.
Shawn Ahmed – Omar, CoWriter, Producer
Shawn Ahmed has worked as an Actor and Writer in Toronto and various parts of the
United States for over ten years. Most notably, he has been in Saw VI, Flight 93 (A&E), and
The Tracey Fragments (Dir. Bruce MacDonald). Currently, viewers have an opportunity to
catch Shawn on the T.V. series Odd Squad (PBS), the upcoming Feature Film A Date
With Miss Fortune (Dir. John L’Ecuyer) and on the Web Series’ The Bunch Gang Show,
Ryan Gosling Must Be Stopped, and Actorapists’. Shawn was also the cocreator of the
sketch comedy troupe Fade to Brown. Their TV special, Fade To Brown, continues to air
on OMNI TV. Shawn made his Directorial debut last year at Filmi with the short film Finding
Talib. Shawn has also enjoyed success on the stage, working at The Tarragon Theatre
(And Slowly Beauty…), Driftwood Theatre (Macbeth) and the historic Shakespeare &
Company in Lenox, Massachusetts (The Comedy of Errors, Revolutionary Moments,
More Words! More Play! and The Winters Tale). Currently, Shawn is receiving rave
reviews in Headstrong Collective and Urban Bard’s collaboration of Romeo & (her) Juliet).
Scott Leaver Martin, CoWriter, Producer
A Dora nominated actor, Scott has been working as an actor and writer for stage and
screen across Ontario for the past seven years. Scott’s most recent film work has included
Murdoch Mysteries (CBC), appearances for SPACE CHANNEL, and on the series
Ghostly Encounters. His most recent screenwriting work includes Touring T.O., an
eightpart miniseries for Bell Media releasing OnDemand this October, and the television
and web series Team Epic (BiteTV). As a playwright, Scott has worked with several
Canadian organizations including Next Stage Festival, Playwrights Workshop Montreal,
Scriptlab of Canada and the Canadian Musical Theatre Festival. Scott is a graduate of
Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts where he received his College Diploma in the
Performing Arts.
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0 SHORT: KUSH
OPENING NIGHT
Thursday, September 25th, 2014 @6:30PM
KUSH
Director: Shubhashish Bhutiani
Synopsis:
Inspired by a true story: In 1984, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her two Sikh bodyguards, causing anti-Sikh riots to erupt throughout the country. A teacher travelling back from a field trip with her class of 10-year-old students struggles to protect Kush, the only Sikh student in the class, from the growing violence around him.
Trailer: http://vimeo.com/72219759
Shubhashish Bhutiani is a director and actor, known for Kush (2013), The Star (2012) and The Road Home (2010).
Kush won the Satyajit Ray Film Foundation Prize for Best Short Film at the London INDIAN Film Festival
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0 DOC – The Conflicted Samaritan
The Conflicted Samaritan
Director: Cyrus Sundar Singh
Feature Length
Synopsis:
By suggesting there may be times when the injured should be left to die, Dr. Michel Landry ignites a profound debate about the world of humanitarian aid. For more than 15 years, Dr. Landry has witnessed devastating human suffering in countries ravaged by war and natural disaster. Throughout Bosnia, Guatemala, Sri Lanka and Ethiopia, Mike fixed broken people and never once questioned his role in saving lives, until Haiti. In 2010 following the devastating earthquake, Mike reached his own breaking point in a situation he viewed as unfixable.
Folowing Haiti’s Devasting earthquake, foreign emergency teams performed rapid life-saving procedures – they played God – and then simply quit the scene leaving behind the world’s largest proportion of disabled people in a place with no infrastructure. Instead of dying gracefully, these heroic interventions condemned some patients to a living hell, and it is Mike who is exspected to help them. When he encounters so many suffering, tormented beyond repair, he asks, “What did we do? Where are the ethical, moral boundaries? Are there times when not helping is the right thing to do?”
Director:
Gemini Award-winning producer/director/writer and music composer, Cyrus, eloquently wears these many hats with joy.
Born and raised in Chennai, India and living in Toronto, Canada,Gemini Award winning producer/director/writer and music composer Cyrus Sundar Singh wears many hats. He has produced and developed numerous programs from the idea stage through to distribution in a variety of genres for various broadcasters including CTV, CBC, VisionTV, Smithsonian Channel, BlueAntMedia, Discovery Channel, MuchMusic and Bravo.His film productions have earned numerous awards and taken him around the world including to Haiti, Spain, Israel and India. Well known and respected in the industry, Cyrus has served on various boards and juries, including the Gemini Awards and the Toronto Arts Council.
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0 DOC – Many Rivers Home
Many Rivers Home
Director: Baljit Sangra
English
September 28th, 2014
Mixing reflections on aging, mortality and love, Baljit Sangra’s documentary, Many Rivers Home,
examines the ties that bind South Asian families in a Lower Mainland seniors’ residence. There is rich
human portraiture here, and a depiction of a vibrant ethnic community, but the core of the film is the
director’s love for her mother.
Director:
Baljit Sangra is a Vancouver based filmmaker who has been working in documentary and factual
entertainment. Her passion is exploring social and cross-cultural issues. Most recently she
directed/produced“ Many Rivers Home” a personal story that focuses on Seniors in Assisted care and
looks at the end journey of life for Omni TV. She’s directed /produced the documentary “ Warrior Boyz’
in association with NFB/Canwest that examines the long running gang scene unique to the Indo-
Canadian enclave in the Lower Mainland. Warrior Boyz premiered at Doxa and was nominated for three
Leos. She also directed an A&E series for CityTV and Channel M called VIVA! for several seasons.
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0 DOC – Love.Love.Love
Love.Love.Love.
Director: Sandhya Daisy Sundaram
Russian with English subtitles 2013,
12 minutes
Russia
Trailer: vimeo.com/82485528
Synopsis:
Sundance Film Festival Short Film Special Jury Award for Non-Fiction
Every year, through the endless winters, her love takes new shapes and forms.
Director’s Bio:
Sandhya Daisy Sundaram is a final-year postgraduate student in film direction at the Film and Television Institute of India and a graduate in visual communication from the University of Madras. Women
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0 DOC – Why Poverty
“Why Poverty”
Director: Wilbur Sargunaraj
SHORT
Our simple superstar Wilbur Sargunaraj, India’s first YouTube star, takes us on an enlightening and irreverent journey through what poverty means in India.
Along the way, Wilbur asks his fellow countrymen what they think poverty is, what makes people poor, and how do the really poor rate their own situation?
Wilbur Sargunaraj is an Indian performing artist and celebrity. He was described by several press reports as “India’s first YouTube sensation,” with nearly 3.1 million views for his music and instructional videos posted on the video sharing website.
Sargunaraj performs a blend of Indian music and electronica. He has been influenced by such artists as Boney M. and Michael Jackson. He claims that his songs are his way to promote cultural intelligence with various languages being heard in his track listing. Sargunaraj has travelled to various places, including India, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong kong, Japan, Cuba, Bangladesh, South Africa, France, Germany, Italy, Holland, Africa, Rwanda, Kenya, Zambia, Sri Lanka, New zealand, Nepal, Oman, Uniter Arab Emirates, Cambodia and Australia, where he has made live performances of his music videos and has given motivational speeches.
Sargunaraj has produced the film Simple Superstar, which is slated for release in 2013. It was screened at Filmi Toronto’s South Asian Film Festival in 2013.
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0 DOC – Naked Ambition
“NAKED AMBITION”
Director: Sofian Khan
Short
“NAKED AMBITION” is a mini documentary about the Naked Cowboy (Robert John Burck) an Naked Cowgirl (Cindy Fox), the scantily clad duo that performs regularly in New York City’s Time Square. In the film Burck talks about the origin of the Naked Cowboy character and Fox describes how she was recruited to become Burck’s bikini-clad counterpart. The documentary was created by Sofian Khan
Sofian Khan
Director/Writer
NY-based writer/director and cinematographer. Currently focusing on documentary work
capitalkpictures.com
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0 FEATURE: Little Terrors
LITTLE TERRORS
DIRECTOR: Maninder Chana
CANADIAN FEATURE FILM SERIES
Synopsis:
A 13-year-old American boy is recruited by terrorists to bomb a U.S. embassy in Delhi. After being brainwashed he is sent to live with a Muslim family prior to the attack. However, the man harboring him begins to play a dangerous game when he attempts to convince the boy not to go through with the bombing.
Toronto Star Review: http://tinyurl.com/pj2xq5d
A short film will screen prior to the feature film: My Brother Karim
DIRECTOR:
Maninder Chana is an award-winning writer, producer and director.
He is currently in post-production on a heist film called Scratch. His four-language feature Little Terrors was just released theatrically to rave reviews this September across Canada. The cast includes Bollywood legend Om Puri (Gandhi, City of Joy, East is East). His supernatural thriller Cell 213, also had a theatrical release in 2011. That film stars Eric Balfour (Skyline), Michael Rooker (Waking Dead) and Bruce Greenwood (Star Trek). And he produced another feature, Mystic, a sci-fi that had a year-long run on the SuperChannel.
This past year, Maninder optioned two television shows, including a comedy with Tom Cavanagh (Ed, Providence, Eli Stone, Scrubs, Royal Pains).Maninder has a long comedy history beginning with his days as the driving force behind Mixed Nuts. The troupe played sold out shows and earned him several award nominations.
Other selected credits: directing the national television special Fade to Brown; an epic six-hour science-fiction series for radio, Sectarian Wave; and an action short, Fuku, with members of Jackie Chan’s stunt team. That film won two best film awards. He is also a published author with an acclaimed short story collection, Gunga Din Lite & Other Delights (of Lust and Comedy).
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0 Short: Nayan and the Evil Eye
Nayan and the Evil Eye
Director: Shaleen Sangha
synopsis:
Nayan finds a mysterious glass eye and discovers that it holds some dangerous powers: the wielder receives the gift of Evil Eye. Now Nayan can curse anyone he sets his eye on.
Shaleen Sangha
Writer/Director
Shaleen Sangha is a writer, director, development executive and video artist. She has had a passion for storytelling, no matter the form, throughout her life. In elementary school, Shaleen wrote and directed her first play, founded a storytelling group, and a drama club. In high school she founded a video yearbook club and produced a plethora of short films and stories. More recently, Shaleen wrote and directed an award-winning short film “Sohni Sapna (Beautiful Dream)” which was scored by Oscar winner Mychael Danna and Rob Simonsen. The film screened worldwide at festivals and was distributed by OUAT Media, appearing on Air Canada flights and Movieola. Since then, Shaleen has been using her skills working in Television as Director of Development at DHX Media with a focus on kids content, credits including “Doozers”, “Looped”, and the “Addison: The Invention Detective” appisode. She continues to write and produce short films. Nayan and the Evil Eye is a passion project for Shaleen and she is excited to share it with you!
Sorry also website: www.nayanandtheevileye.com
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NayanandtheEvilEye
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0 Feature Film: Rock Paper Dice Enter (RPDE)
CANADIAN FEATURE FILM SERIES
“Rock Paper Dice Enter (RPDE)”
Director:Shreela Chakrabartty and Kash Gauni
Synopsis
The film is a suspense thriller that makes every human being accountable for his or her actions. Using principles of power, chance, information, leverage and randomness, a series of events follow an intercepted diamond heist masterminded by an ordinary man named Roman, who hacks into security protocols of the city of Strathaven, the North American hub for security and prosperity.
2 short will will screening: Ice Cream Wallah, If you love your Children
About the Directors:
:
Directors
Shreela Chakrabartty and Kash Gauni joined forces to become Shreela & Kash on a motto of faith hope and trust. They only met in person on the set of their first film over halfway through the shoot. Director, Shreela Chakrabartty probes the mind and work of writer/actor Kash Gauni to tell intriguing stories relevant to our times.
Shreela Chakrabartty was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. She’s pursued a career in filmmaking after graduating from the University of Alberta. While working in location sound, she produced documentary and short films as a means to hone her craft, following the advice of Werner Herzog, to invest in a pair of hikers and travel. She spent years traveling, filming and studying the lives of ‘real’ people. In 2011 she reconnected with Kash Gauni who had an intriguing commercial story idea… rest is history.
Kash Gauni, works in the Financial sector, retired volunteer fire fighter, storyteller and the ethnic face of large corporations like Scotiabank, Home Depot, and Real Canadian Superstore. He maintained his interest in film and television since his Doordarshan days in India. In what remained of his free time, he penned a collection of stories. Once Upon A Lama, about a schizophrenic’s conversation with the Dalai Lama became the thriller, Rock Paper Dice Enter. His on screen portrayal of Roman keeps you on your seats
Shreela & Kash have lined up six films as part of their 5 year strategic focus
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0 Feature Film: Life is Beautiful!
CANADIAN FEATURE FILM SERIES
LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL!
Directed and Written by: Manoj Amarnani
September 27th,2014 – 3:30PM
History on the film:
Life is Beautiful! is a Hindi Romantic Comedy entirely shot in Toronto, with the entire cast and crew being Canadian.
It released worldwide on 22nd August and is still playing in theatres.
The film is written, produced and directed by Manoj Amarnani, who previously worked in Karan Johar’s “My Name is Khan”.
The post-production was conducted in India, featuring the finest technicians of the country like Sanjay Sankla (Best Editor), Eric Pillai (Best Sound) and the most Popular singers of Indian cinema. (Sonu Nigam, Shreya Ghoshal, Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan)
2 short films will screen prior to film: Its about time, Hechki
Synopsis:
Raj works in Toronto and lives with his friend Prem who hates him for invading his tiny apartment. After Raj’s application for Canadian residency is rejected, he plots the perfect plan to attain the Citizenship within a year, he marries a stranger, Pia. And as much as she hates it, she is forced to move in with him, as his wife. They live together, they fight, they laugh and soon a strange connection develops between them manifesting into a newfound friendship. The plan seems to be working fine, but the real complications begin on a stormy day when destiny brings Linda in front of Raj, a woman who comes into his life and changes it forever.
A story of love that redefines the rules of relationships beyond social barriers and takes these four characters on a journey filled with love, loss and lots of laughter.
Cast:
Manoj Amarnani, Nancy Brunetta, Anokhi Dalvi, Parth Naik & Raj Zutshi
Music: John Hunt, Lyrics: Vimal Kashyap
Cinematography: Ryan Ellis, Sync Sound: Mike Grand
Writer, Producer, Director, Choreographer, Background Music, Aerial Photography, Art, Styling and Costumes: Manoj Amarnani
The teaser of the film
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_elBj0xLyk&list=UUgG4nOf3Id7WesUOksQEBMg
Here is the First Song Promo featuring Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FsbnfTlRyM
The Second song Promo features Rahat Fateh Ali Khan:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZtm4cX459U
The Third Song Promo features Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8wIyPmnAwk
The fourth song is a club song featuring Farhad and Richa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOt7jbmN3TE
Few Reviews:
Manoj Amarnani manages to make a film that is…memorable.
Execution … Yash Chopra-Karan Johar brand of cinema is evident.
The songs are melodious. The film comedy works.
You won’t mind watching this one.
– Times of India
Manoj Amarnani has done a good job. There is something in the film that demands our attention.
The songs add to the strengths of the film and have also been picturised well.
There are few scenes that are really touching and the fine detailing in the film is impressive!
– Trending Now
The film touches your heart. The best parts of this romantic comedy are the comedy bits, a quality which makes the film interesting and lovable. Manoj Amarnani has successfully envisioned a film which is definitely praise worthy! Through good moments, melodious numbers, likeable leads, heart and humour, he’s got an ace in Life is Beautiful. This love story is definitely worth enjoying!
-Showtym
Public Review on First Day First Show:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07SbBhfpEJw
Facebook Link:
https://www.facebook.com/lifeisbeautifulhindi
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0 Filmi Co-Presents at 2013 Reel Asian Film Festival ‘Farah Goes Bang’
Filmi Co-Presents at 2013 Reel Asian Film Festival ‘Farah Goes Bang’
Filmi Co-Presents at 2013 Reel Asian Film Festival
Farah Goes Bang
Saturday, November 9th @ 4:00PM – The Royal
Synopsis:
Farah is a 20-year-old, fun-loving, Bush-hating, Iranian-American virgin. With her two besties, she sets off to campaign for US presidential candidate John Kerry and get laid in this fresh take on young American feminism.
http://tinyurl.com/lthlzfb
FB: facebook.com/reelasian
TW: @reelasian, #ra2013
IG: http://statigr.am/reelasian
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0 FILMI Shorts: Small Talk Denial
Friday, September 27th, 2013
World Premiere
Title: Small Talk Denial
Directed by Chris Green
Length: 5:00 Minutes
Country: Canada
Year: 2013
Synopsis:
Roger is doing everything great at his new job, except for one little thing: Small Talk. And when his boss and fellow employees confront him about it, Roger sees how tragically large office small talk really is.
CREW
Writer & Produce: Richard Young
CAST: Richard Young, David Sparrow, Kristopher Turner, Marjorie Malpass,Glenda Braganza
Director’s Bio:
Chris Green is a graduate of the Ryerson University Film Studies diploma program, and he has produced several short films including Arnie Juice, which played in four film festivals across Canada. Green’s first feature length film, “Zombie Werewolves Attack!” a horror/comedy is now being distributed by Troma Entertainment, and has also played in two film festivals. Green was recognized for his talents as a filmmaker by being accepted into the 2010 ReelWorld Emerging 20 program. His current projects include a Horror Anthology film with 6 other directors about the last man on earth, titled “The Last”, and development of his second feature film, a Sci-Fi thriller called ‘Memory Lost’.
Social Media Links:
facebook: www.facebook.com/off2kali
twitter: www.twitter.com/RichardYoungRY
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0 Filmi Music Video: “Aaja” by Prita Chhabra
Friday, September 27th, 2013
Prita Chhabra “Aaja” music video directed by Omar Shaikh
23rd Filmi: Toronto's South Asian Film Festival Dec 6-7 2025 