Indian film “Peepli Live” enters Sundance

Indian film “Peepli Live” enters prestigious Sundance

Indian film “Peepli Live”, story of a farmer in debt, has made it to the prestigious 2010 Sundance Film Festival under “World Cinema Narrative” category.

Directed by Anusha Rizvi (The Falling), it was one of the 14 films selected from 1,022 international narrative feature submissions. This will serve as world premiere for the film also.

Rizvi is also the screenwriter for the film which stars Omkar Das, Nawazuddin Siddiqui (Meridian Lines), Raghubir Yadav (Delhi-6), Shalini Vatsa, Farukh Jaffer (Swades: We, the People). According to Festival site, “Peepli Live” is a satirical look at the predicament of a poor farmer who creates a media frenzy when, beset with debt, he announces that he will commit suicide so his family can receive government compensation.

In the “U.S. Documentary” category, “Bhutto”, about the life and work of former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, also made it as one of the 16 selected films out of 862 submissions. Jessica Hernandez and Johnny O'Hara directed it while O’Hara was also the screenwriter. It will also be the world premiere for this film.

Congratulating the makers of “Peepli Live”, acclaimed Indo-American statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, urged the India Government and large private corporations of India to promote independent cinema in India. India was full of creative and excellent filmmakers and they only needed an integrated effort in funding, encouragement, marketing/promotion, exposure in global avenues, and organization of world-level film festivals in India, Zed, who is chairperson of Indo-American Leadership Confederation, added.

One of the largest independent cinema festival in the world, Sundance runs January 21-31 in Park City, Salt Lake City, Ogden and Sundance—all in Utah (USA). In addition to the four competition categories, the Festival presents films in five out-of-competition sections also. For the 2010 Festival, 112 feature-length films were selected representing 39 countries by 43 first-time filmmakers, including 24 in competition. These films were selected from 3,724 feature-length film submissions composed of 1,920 U.S. and 1,804 international feature-length films. 79 films at the Festival will be world premieres.

Founded by Oscar winner Robert Redford (Ordinary People) in 1981, Sundance Institute with offices in Park City (Utah) and Beverly Hills (California) organizes this Festival. Sundance Institute is a not-for-profit organization that fosters the development of original storytelling in film and theatre. John Cooper is the director of the Festival which attracted over 40,000 visitors last year.

ENDS

© Scoop Media