3rd i

Gaalibeeja (Wind Seed)
2016-11-19 12:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | BlueLight Cinemas 5, 21275 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino, CA, 95014, United States
(Babu Eshwar Prasad, India, 2015, 96mins) A unique cinematic experience, Gaalibeeja is a visually arresting meditation on cinema and modernity by artist-turned-filmmaker Babu Eshwar Prasad–an exciting new voice in Kannada-language cinema.
Prakash, a civil engineer by day and a cinephile by night, lives on the road, traveling to inspect his many projects. His encounters along the way–a peddler of pirated DVDs, a farmer at a highway bus stop, and a labourer on his bicycle–form the backbone of this idiosyncratic film.
While the paths of these diverse characters intersect and interrupt one another, it becomes clear that they each live in a vastly different time and space–one that is shaped by class and access to progress. While paying homage to the likes of Wim Wenders, Jim Jarmusch, and Abbas Kiarostami, Prasad blends social critique with exquisite cinematic form in his take on the “road movie.”

Coast to Coast: Mumbai to the Mission
2016-11-13 19:15 | New People Cinema, 1746 Post Street, San Francisco, CA, 94115, United States
Bay Area Filmmakers in Person!!
From power to pleasure, courage to comedy, this year’s kaleidoscope of cinematic offerings engage the sexual and the sensual: a young man gathers strength to approach his crush, while a young woman plots a shocking escape from marriage; Audrey Lorde’s poetry, Justin Bieber’s music, and painter Francis Newton Souza’s work and life become fodder for queer interventions; and SF’s Sexy Circus ponders its future.
Will SF’s Sexy Circus Be Priced Out Of Town?
(Abhi Singh, 2016, USA, 4mins, English)
It’s Not Always Sunny
(Kimberly Hwang, 2015, USA, 8mins, English)
Leeches
(Payal Sethi, 2015, India, 27mins, Urdu/Dakhani)
An Old Dog’s Diary
(Shumona Goel and Shai Heredia, 2015, India, 12mins, English)
Prema Lekha (Love Letter)
(Neelu Bhuman, 2016, USA/UK, 5mins, Telugu and English)
Sari
(Kareem Khubchandani and Sarah Hill, 2016, USA, 4mins, English)
Escaping Agra
(Pallavi Somusetty, 2016, USA/India, 23mins, English)

Gardaab (Whirlpool)
2016-11-13 16:45 | New People Cinema, 1746 Post Street, San Francisco, CA, 94115, United States
Harune Massey in Person!!
(Harune Massey, Pakistan/USA, 2016, 93mins) With echoes of Romeo and Juliet, Gardaab is a taut and stylized thriller about two lovers caught in a web of family and gang warfare in the underbelly of Karachi. Harune Massey’s restrained direction takes real life stories and anecdotes collected on the streets, and turns them into a compelling meditation on the fragility of human life.
In a city haunted by violence, turf wars and class divisions, a romance blossoms between Shahbaz, the protege of a drug lord, and Parveen, the daughter of a powerful rival clan. Caught in a whirlpool of desire, deceit, and obligations, the lovers struggle to break free. However, Shahbaz harbors a dark secret from the past that could very well be his undoing.
Massey’s debut feature points to an exciting new wave of Pakistani filmmakers on the horizon. Before this foray at the helm, he has been Assistant Director to some of the most celebrated filmmakers living and working in Pakistan, such as Sabiha Sumar and Meenu Farjad.

Gardaab Trailer from Harune Massey on Vimeo.

United Red Army (The Young Man Was, Part 1)
2016-11-13 14:30 | New People Cinema, 1746 Post Street, San Francisco, CA, 94115, United States
Skype Q&A with Naeem Mohaiemen!!
(Naeem Mohaiemen, Bangladesh/ USA/Japan, 2012, 70mins) This striking and hypnotic documentary — the first in a trilogy on ultra-left movements — by visual artist Naeem Mohaiemen, reconstructs the hijacking of Japan Air Lines flight 472 at the hands of the Japanese Red Army in 1977, during which the hijackers forced the plane to land in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Using the original sound recordings and surveillance video from the airport control tower, and a written transcript of the tense and cautious conversation between the hijackers and the hostage negotiator, the captivating and meditative doc presents a blow-by-blow account of the event. Mohaiemen interrupts the negotiations to take a trip back to his own living room, where he followed the events as an eight-year-old, hoping it would end so he could watch his favorite TV show.
As reviewer Wilson-Goldie (Bidoun) notes, United Red Army “delves further into the unintended damage that violent revolutionary movements wrought, articulating the need to address them critically, skeptically, even generously, but without nostalgia or romance, fascinated but not seduced.”

Aligarh
2016-11-13 12:00 | New People Cinema, 1746 Post Street, San Francisco, CA, 94115, United States
(Hansal Mehta, 2015, India, 114mins) Premiering to a standing ovation at the Busan Film Festival, Aligarh is a heartfelt demand for the right to love — a right that no court should be able to deny.
Director Hansal Mehta and screenwriter Apurva Asrani find inspiration in the true story of Dr. Shrinivas Ramchandra Siras, a linguistics professor at Aligarh University who faced suspension and possible termination due to his sexual orientation. Though many supporters rally to Siras’ cause, including a dedicated journalist played with great panache by Rajkummar Rao, Manoj Bajpayee paints a portrait of the doctor as a gentle man more concerned with the beauty of life and love, than with courtroom battles.
One of the most vital films to come out of India in recent years, especially when both the right to privacy and queer rights are at increasingly at risk all over the world (homosexuality was recriminalized in India in 2014), Aligarh is a poetic call to transcend identity.

Parched
2016-11-12 21:00 | Castro Theatre, 429 Castro Street, San Francisco, CA, 94114, United States
3rd i’s Saturday Night at the Castro!!
(Leena Yadav, India/US/UK, 2015, 116mins) Parched takes the riot of Bollywood and infuses it with an indie vision in this warm and incisive film that premiered at the Toronto Film Festival last year. Leena Yadav examines the complex lived experiences of women in India through the strident lens of “sex in the village” and produces a film that is raucously full of girl power.
Thirty-something Rani is a widower consumed with the task of marrying off her mean-spirited son. Meanwhile, Rani’s feisty best friend Lajjo contends with her alcoholic husband, and a third friend, Bijili, is demonized for being an exotic dancer and sex worker.
Through unexpected twists and turns, these adventurous friends must rely on each other before they can escape their harsh realities, and ride into the sunset. With vivid performances and musical interludes, and the sultry Rajasthani landscape as the backdrop, Parched has the spirit of rebellion at its heart!

3rd i's Castro Reception
2016-11-12 20:00 | Castro Theatre, 429 Castro Street, San Francisco, CA, 94114, United States
When: Saturday Nov 12, 8pm
Where: Castro Theater Mezzanine
Tickets: $20 at the door, or Become a Sponsor
Join us for a special reception at the Castro Mezzanine, and meet all the festival filmmakers up close and personal! Enjoy desserts and drinks, get your photograph taken with our celebrity guests and get your feet wet for Parched.
Festival Guests include: Director Shilpa Ranade and Musician Narayan Parasuram from The World of Goopi and Bagha; Director Sami Khan and Actor Rupak Ginn from Khoya; Director Harune Massey from Gardaab/Whirlpool; and California filmmakers Kimberly Hwang, Abhi Singh and Pallavi Somusetty featured in the shorts program Coast to Coast.
Special Thanks to our Reception Sponsors
Diya TV
Kasa Indian Eatery
Trader Joe’s
Whole Foods
Lagunitas
Rossi & Rovetti

Khoya (Lost)
2016-11-12 17:45 | Castro Theatre, 429 Castro Street, San Francisco, CA, 94114, United States
Director Sami Khan and Actor Rupak Ginn in Person!!
(Sami Khan, India/Canada, 2015, 82mins) A nuanced and introspective thriller, Sami Khan’s outstanding feature Khoya is a deeply affecting film about the universal quest to find one’s roots, home, and belonging. When Rog Moreau’s mother dies, the adoptive ties to his Canadian identity begin to feel tenuous, setting him off on a journey to India in search of his birth parents. But India is a foreign land, and Rog cannot even speak the local tongue.
Seeking to unravel the dark mystery surrounding his adoption, Rog follows the spectres that lead him through the back alleys of the Mumbai slums to arrive in the expansive and dusty plains of Madhya Pradesh to confront a startling revelation. The film weaves between Rog’s dislocation in a strange new land and his internal conflicts, as he struggles to achieve an emotional epiphany.
Featuring stunning cinematography and an equally haunting score, Khoya showcases an excellent performance by Rupak Ginn who brings a local connection to the film with his San Francisco origins.

Special Thanks to the Adoption Museum Project.

The World of Goopi and Bagha (Goopi Gawaiya, Bagha Bajaiya)
2016-11-12 15:30 | Castro Theatre, 429 Castro Street, San Francisco, CA, 94114, United States
Director Shilpa Ranade and Musician Narayan Parasuram (of 3 Brothers and a Violin) in Person!!
(Shilpa Ranade, India, 2013, 79mins) Set in a world full of vibrant music and color, Shilpa Ranade’s magical film is an animated adaptation of a cherished children’s classic, and a remake of one of Indian master Satyajit Ray’s most beloved works. With an anti-war message at its heart, this timeless fable premiered to great acclaim at the Toronto Film Festival.
The film follows the misadventures of Goopi and Bagha, two musicians banished from their villages for their ear-splitting music. Their cacophony, however, enthralls the King of Ghosts, who grants them four magical boons. Thanks to their new gifts, Goopi and Bagha are appointed court musicians in the neighboring kingdom of Shundi, only to be drawn in to courtly intrigue and politics. It will be up to them to use their boons (and their brains!) to prevent war between two brothers — and win the hands of two beautiful princesses.
Ranade’s imaginative and textured animation brings a unique vision to this inventive and heartwarming film full of humor, spirit, and kindness.

Kaul (A Calling)
2016-11-12 13:00 | Castro Theatre, 429 Castro Street, San Francisco, CA, 94114, United States
(Aadish Keluskar, India, 2015, 122mins) With camerawork and sound design that bring a visceral sense of dislocation, Aadish Keluskar’s bold and innovative Kaul can only be described as a truly transformative cinematic experience.
A schoolteacher stops to offer an old man a light for his cigarette on his way back home one night, and encounters a supernatural experience that he is unable to explain. Left shaken to his core, and unable to ascertain its authenticity, he begins to doubt his very mind, until he meets the old man again and learns that he is the “chosen one.” Now is the true test of his sanity, whether to believe his “believer” and commit a crime, or to admit to his own insanity.
Deeply inspired by the films of Tarkovsky and Bela Tarr, and firmly rooted in a Marathi milieu, Keluskar masterfully walks a fine line between the believable and the unbelievable, and delivers a unique film that brings an equal measure of the mystical, the existential, the surreal, and the sublime.

One Crazy Thing
2016-11-11 21:00 | New People Cinema, 1746 Post Street, San Francisco, CA, 94115, United States
Skype Q&A with Amit Gupta!!
(Amit Gupta, UK, 2016, 90mins) Set against the hubbub of London, Amit Gupta’s One Crazy Thing is a charming romantic comedy and a beautifully-crafted cautionary tale about the fickleness of fame, the healing powers of love, and the importance of forgiving oneself.
Former television star Jay is haunted by the sex tape that destroyed his life and turned his ex-girlfriend into an A-list Hollywood celebrity. Jay now cowers in obscurity as the manager of his family’s tandoori restaurant. His acting career is nonexistent, his family is irredeemably disgraced, and he constantly fears being recognized by any of the millions of viewers of his very public mistake. When Jay falls for the exciting and artistic Hannah, an American musician studying in London, he realizes he must confront the errors of his past, rather than hiding from his future.
Gupta’s keen and witty script produces a film that echoes the best of Woody Allen –especially in the main character played by Ray Panthaki, who was named one of BAFTA’s Breakthrough Brits in 2014.

Original Copy
2016-11-11 19:15 | New People Cinema, 1746 Post Street, San Francisco, CA, 94115, United States
Set in a crumbling cinema palace in Mumbai Central, Original Copy is a charming portrait of artist and guru Sheikh Rehman – one of the last hand-painters of colorful Bollywood posters, packed with romance and action.
This intimate doc provides a window into a world in transition: while Rehman cajoles his team into hand-painting unique billboards every week, modernity is taking over. Today’s films are publicized on plastic posters, and audiences are swarming to multiplexes. Rehman is the keeper of a disappearing artform, but he won’t give up. Neither will the theater’s owner Najma, valuing history and heritage over profits.
Ultimately, this exemplary and insightful doc is about the magic of cinema, its power to forge culture and community, and the changing face of India’s film industry.
Preceded by:
Events in a Cloud Chamber
(Ashim Ahluwalia, 2016, India, 21 min, English)
Filmmaker Ashim Ahluwalia (John and Jane) works with the visionary Akbar Padamsee, one of the pioneers of Modern Indian painting, to remake his lost experimental film from 1969.

ORIGINAL COPY / trailer from Florian Heinzen-Ziob on Vimeo.

Masaan (Fly Away Solo)
2016-11-10 19:15 | New People Cinema, 1746 Post Street, San Francisco, CA, 94115, United States
(Neeraj Ghaywan, India/France, 2015, 109mins) With its premiere at the prestigious Cannes film festival, Masaan (an Anurag Kashyap production), has become one of the most celebrated independent Indian films in recent memory. Set along the picturesque Ganges river in Benaras, Neeraj Ghaywan’s film weaves together two separate stories joined by a common concern, the effect of narrow-minded tradition on the budding desires of youth.
Two students who meet in a motel room for a romantic encounter become the victims of police corruption, while two others attempt to navigate their courtship through caste discrimination. Both relationships cause a ripple effect that leads to repression, rebellion and repentance, but Ghaywan never loses sight of the hope and resistance for a brighter future in his delicate and powerful masterwork.
Imbued with pathos and poetry, this immensely moving cinematic tapestry received a standing ovation at Cannes, won the prestigious FIPRESCI prize, and was honored with the Promising Future Award. The film’s release in India garnered rave reviews and is poised to make stars of its talented young cast.

The Golden Sita
2016-10-22 14:00 - 16:00 | Asian Art Museum, Samsung Hall, 200 Larkin St, San Francisco, CA, United States
3rd i Co-presents at the Asian Art Museum
The Golden Sita / Kanchana Sita
(G. Aravindan, India, 1977, 90mins, In Malayalam with English subtitles)
When: Oct 22, 2-4pm
Where: Asian Art Museum, Samsung Hall
Cost: Free with Museum Admission
G. Aravindan’s adaptation of the Ramayana begins where the tale approaches its end: in the Uttara Kandam or The Northern Tales. When Rama decides to do a Ashvamedayagna, a ritual to invoke the gods in aid of his imperialist intentions, his abandoned wife is cast as a statue that sits beside him. This is the Golden Sita (or Kanchana Sita) from which the film takes its title.
While the plot might be familiar to connoisseurs of the tale, Aravindan’s treatment is far from traditional. Following the contours of C. N. Sreekantan Nair’s feminist play, Aravindan makes Sita the protagonist of this retelling, and in a stroke of genius, casts her as Nature itself. As Rama meanders through the forest, leading up to the eventual showdown with his own two sons, Sita is always present – as the earth beneath his feet, as the sun shining down on him, as the wind in the trees. Against this sensual backdrop, Rama’s journey is presented as that of a man at the end of his life, taking stock of his legacy. Confronted by Sita’s absence, and presence, in his every step, Rama’s grief is inconsolable, leading to a striking conclusion.
With a cast of non-professional actors, drawn largely from the Rama Chenchu tribe (who claim to be direct descendants of Rama himself), and lensing by the acclaimed Malayalam filmmaker Shaji N. Karun, Aravindan’s adaptation is poetry itself, uncompromising in its cinematic vision and unflinching in its indictment of patriarchy, caste, and superstition. The film won two national awards in 1977, for Best Direction and Best Cinematography, cementing G. Aravindan’s place as a master of Indian cinema.
We present this little-seen gem in its recently digitally restored glory, thanks to the National Film Archive of India.
More information on the program is available at: http://www.asianart.org/events/993?starttime=1474009200

3rd i Co-presents at UNAFF 2016
2016-10-22 | Mitchell Park Community Center, 3700 Middlefield Rd, Palo Alto, 94303, United States
3rd i Films is proud to present two films at the international documentary film festival UNAFF 2016 in Palo Alto.
Petals in the Dust: The Endangered Indian Girls
(89 minutes) Canada/India/US [watch trailer]
When: Saturday, October 22, 2016, 2:50 pm
Where: Mitchell Park Community Center, 3700 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto
Director: Nyna Pais Caputi
Producers: Gino Caputi, Nyna Pais Caputi
Petals in the Dust: The Endangered Indian Girls is a filmmaker’s personal journey to understand and shed light on the origins and the enormity of the war against Indian women. The film examines the condition of an endangered class of people living in one of the most populous, culturally and economic vibrant countries: modern India. They come from all walks of life and share only one common trait: they are female. A patriarchal mindset, a preference for sons and a deep-seated intolerance has led to the murder of fifty million girls and women in India in the last century. They continue to lose their lives in this century to infanticide, sex-selective abortions, starvation and medical neglect, dowry deaths and brutal gang rapes. The declining female population is also leading to increased crimes against women including trafficking and bride buying. By 2020 there will be twenty percent more men than women in India. The film explores the cultural origins of this vast genocidal crime and includes the voices of activists and gender experts as well survivors of these gender crimes who have struggled to build meaningful lives. By bringing this issue out into the open, the filmmakers hope to light the spark of resistance to this culture of gender violence and extermination, mobilize the Indian and international communities into getting involved in ending this “gendercide” and to encourage a new generation of Indian citizens to value and respect their daughters, wives and the women in the community.
Biography:
Nyna Pais Caputi has worked on several short award-winning films including DCBA-Desi Confused by America, Able and Gentle Lovers. She is a Bay Area Video Coalition 2013 media-maker fellow. She also founded the Global Walk for India’s Missing Girls in 2010, an international awareness campaign on the violence and genocide of Indian women that has taken place in over twenty-five cities and five countries.

The Learning Alliance
(9 minutes) Pakistan
When: Saturday, October 22, 2016, 11:15 am
Where: Mitchell Park Community Center, 3700 Middlefield Road, Palo Alto
Director: Muhammad Umar Saeed
Producers: Muhammad Farrukh Saeed, Muhammad Umar Saeed
Collecting garbage to pay their fees for school. Three brothers who are changing their future by studying and at the same time selling garbage in Lahore, Pakistan. The Learning Alliance is a portrait of children with dreams and their struggle towards achieving them.
Biography:
Muhammad Umar Saeed’s documentaries and short films have been screened in film festivals around the globe. Umar was part of the Sesame Street production in Pakistan (a project by USAID). He is also curating and programming film festivals in Lahore. The Learning Alliance is his latest documentary.

3rd i is proud to co-present "Loev" at Frameline’s 40th Film Festival
2016-06-24 19:00 | Victoria Theatre, 2961 16th Street, San Francisco, 94103, United States
Frameline40: June 16-26, 2016
Frameline40, the San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival, celebrates its 40th anniversary this month, and 3rd i Films is pleased to participate by co-presenting two screenings of Loev.
Sahil, a quirky music producer in Mumbai, has hit a rough patch with his boyfriend Alex. That’s just when Sahil’s longtime friend Jai, a successful and handsome Wall Street deal maker, arrives back in India on a business trip. Jai’s visit gives Sahil the perfect excuse to drop Alex for a bit and escape for a few days’ getaway in the gorgeous countryside with Jai. While the friends enjoy their remarkable rapport at first, differences soon begin to arise—emotions and tensions bubble to the surface until they finally explode in a way that threatens to impact the lives of all three men for a long time to come.
Loev is a landmark film, honestly exploring gay relationships in India, where, to this day, same-sex love is punishable by harsh prison sentences.
Read an interview with the Mumbai-based director in Variety.
DIRECTOR: Sudhanshu Saria
Tuesday, June 21, 1:30 PM
Castro Theatre
Friday, June 24, 7:00 PM
Victoria Theatre

3rd i is proud to co-present "Loev" at Frameline’s 40th Film Festival
2016-06-21 13:30 | Castro Theatre, 429 Castro Street, San Francisco, CA, 94114, United States
Frameline40: June 16-26, 2016
Frameline40, the San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival, celebrates its 40th anniversary this month, and 3rd i Films is pleased to participate by co-presenting two screenings of Loev.
Sahil, a quirky music producer in Mumbai, has hit a rough patch with his boyfriend Alex. That’s just when Sahil’s longtime friend Jai, a successful and handsome Wall Street deal maker, arrives back in India on a business trip. Jai’s visit gives Sahil the perfect excuse to drop Alex for a bit and escape for a few days’ getaway in the gorgeous countryside with Jai. While the friends enjoy their remarkable rapport at first, differences soon begin to arise—emotions and tensions bubble to the surface until they finally explode in a way that threatens to impact the lives of all three men for a long time to come.
Loev is a landmark film, honestly exploring gay relationships in India, where, to this day, same-sex love is punishable by harsh prison sentences.
Read an interview with the Mumbai-based director in Variety.
DIRECTOR: Sudhanshu Saria
Tuesday, June 21, 1:30 PM
Castro Theatre
Friday, June 24, 7:00 PM
VictoriaTheatre

3rd i Celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage Month at Macy's
2016-05-26 18:00 | Macy’s Union Square, 170 O'Farrell St, San Francisco, 94102
Join 3rd i Films at Macy’s salute to Asian Pacific American culture, history and vibrancy at
MACY’S UNION SQUARE
THE CELLAR, LOWER LEVEL
THURSDAY, MAY 26TH, 6PM
“In Conversation” with renowned chef, food blogger and author, KATIE CHIN for a live cooking demo and discussion hosted by CAROLYN JUNG!
Also, food blogger SABRINA SNYDER will share her tips and tricks on how to snap the best pics of your plate for social media! A private chef and founder of DinnerThenDessert.com, Sabrina’s blog focuses on making delicious at-home meals, and sees half a million visitors each month.
Plus, make any purchase of $50 or more at the event and get an autographed copy of her newest book, Katie Chin’s Everyday Chinese Cookbook and a limited edition APAHM chopsticks set!*
RSVP to the event at https://macysapahmsf16.eventbrite.com
Check out Macy’s exclusive content at macys.com/celebrate

Raise Money for 3rd i Through SVGives
2016-05-03 | CA
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR AS LITTLE AS $10!
From now through midnight on MAY 3, our community will come together with the Silicon Valley Community Foundation to raise money for 3rd i, and we need YOU to join us!
Simply visit SVGIVES-3rd i (see link below). You can make quick, easy and secure donations online and via all web-enabled mobile devices. Contributions may be made with credit card, debit card or PayPal, and anonymously if desired.
https://svgives.razoo.com/us/story/3-Rd-I-South-Asian-Independent-Film

3rd i Co-presents "Behemoth"
2016-04-19 21:00 | Roxie Theater, 94103
Join us at Green Film Fest, April 14–20 at the Castro Theatre, Roxie and venues across the Bay. A week of new films and events that spotlight the world’s most urgent environmental issues and most innovative solutions. Tickets available at www.greenfilmfest.org or (415) 552-5580.
3rd i co-presents
Behemoth
(Zhao Liang, China & France, 2015, 90 mins)
When: Tuesday, April 19, 9 pm
Where: Roxie Theater
Buy tickets
In the Old Testament, the mountains are the domain of a monster named Behemoth; in modern times the vast mining industry has taken the monster’s place. Inspired by Dante’s Divine Comedy, Liang Zhao shares poetic reflections on China’s search for a paradise, one that has ended up more like Hell. Could the monster have ever dreamed of this?

3rd i Co-presents "I am Chut Wutty"
2016-04-17 18:00 | Roxie Theater, 94103
Join us at Green Film Fest, April 14–20 at the Castro Theatre, Roxie and venues across the Bay. A week of new films and events that spotlight the world’s most urgent environmental issues and most innovative solutions. Tickets available at www.greenfilmfest.org or (415) 552-5580.
3rd i co-presents
I Am Chut Wutty
(Fran Lambrick, Vanessa de Smet, UK, 2015, 54 mins)
Date: Sunday, April 17, 6 pm
Location: Roxie Theater
Buy tickets
In one of the last remaining wildernesses in South East Asia, Cambodian community activists struggle to defend their forests. Environmentalist Chut Wutty, defies threats and intimidation to fearlessly investigate the corrupt rubber plantations and logging syndicates. Fran Lambrick uncovers the fierce battle for the community to hold onto their connection with the Prey Lang forest.

3rd i Films presents a work-in-progress screening
2016-04-17 15:00 | Artists’ Television Access, 992 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
Burqa Boxers
Filmmaker Alka Raghuram in Person!
When: Sunday, April 17, 3pm
Where: ATA, 992 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
In a culture where beauty, delicacy, refinement and submission are the most prized traits for the ultimate feminine career fulfillment, marriage, young Muslim women in Kolkata challenge stereotypes, learning boxing with Razia Shabnam, one of the first Indian women to become a boxing coach and an international referee.
Burqa Boxers is the story of Ajmira Khatoon (16), who wants to make a name for herself to prove to her father and brothers that she amounts to something; Parveen Sajda (24) who dreams of becoming a police officer; and Taslima Khatoon (16) who must learn to negotiate her fear of sexual assault, as they take the first baby steps towards making their dreams true, dreams of creating a different future than the one handed to them. It is a portrait of their dreams and aspirations. The story covers four years in the lives of these boxers and documents the changing landscape of their lives and their transformation.

3rd i Co-presents at SFIFF 59: "Thithi"
2016-04-08 08:00 - 17:00 | CA
Thithi
April 30, 2016
3:30 p.m.
Roxie Theater, San Francisco
May 1, 2016
3:15 p.m.
Pacific Film Archive, Berkeley
May 4, 2016
9:00 p.m.
Alamo Drafthouse, San Francisco
Country(ies): India/USA
Language(s) Kannada
Year: 2016
Running time: 123
Director(s): Raam Reddy
In a small South Indian village in Karnataka, a cantankerous centenarian known as Century Gowda suddenly keels over and dies—setting the stage for a capricious comedy of errors among three generations of dissimilar sons. Century’s middle-aged grandson Thamanna, driven by money and status, is determined to acquire property that Century owned, but which now belongs to Century’s eldest son and Thamanna’s father, Gadappa. But Gadappa has little interest in the material world; with his long white beard and shoeless feet, he is an aimless roamer seeking freedom, simplicity and some cheap alcohol. For Thamanna’s cocky teenage son Abhi (who proves as inept as his father at good decision-making), lust and desire are primary motivations as he attempts to woo a female member of a tribe of nomadic sheepherders. Conflict, confusion, corruption and a series of ill-conceived actions all come to a head at the final ritual celebration for Century (the titular thithi), a grand (and expensive) affair attended by the entire village. With its charming cast of non-professional actors—both human and ovine—director Raam Reddy’s feature film offers a playful portrait of intergenerational conflicts and differences. —Joanne Parsont
More info

3rd i Co-Presents at CAAMFest
2016-03-11 19:30 | Various
3rd i Films co-presents three films at this year’s CAAMFest, playing March 11, 13, 19 & 20, 2016. See details below.
GOOD OL’ BOY (pictured at top)
Dir: FRANK LOTITO
It’s 1979, and 10-year-old Smith Bhatnagar’s American dreams — filled with SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, Darth Vader and the girl next door — clash with his parent’s hopes for his future. A coming-of-age dramedy about enduring first loves and the weighty expectations of immigrant parents. Starring Jason Lee, Samrat Chakrabarti and Anjul Nigam.
SUN MAR 13 | 3:10PM | ALAMO
SUN MAR 20 | 3:15PM | NEW PARKWAY

DRAWING THE TIGER
Dir: AMY BENSON, SCOTT SQUIRE & RAMYATA LIMBU
DRAWING THE TIGER observes a rural Nepali family over seven years in an immersive tableau of the human experience. Even the filmmakers themselves couldn’t have foreseen how a hopeful story of a teenage girl winning a big city scholarship could lead to the Darnal family eventually being overturned by tragedy.
Nepal / 2015 / Documentary / 97 mins
FRI MAR 11| 7:30PM | ROXIE

UMRIKA
Dir. PRASHANT NAIR
UMRIKA is how a small village in India refers to “America.” One of their own decides to journey to “Umrika,” inspiring both hope and debate. When the village loses touch with its contested hero, his younger brother Rama and friend Lalu set out on their own to find him.
India / 2015 / Narrative / 102 mins
SUN MAR 13 | 12:20PM | ALAMO
SAT MAR 19 | 3:00PM | NEW PARKWAY
For more info on all the above and to purchase tickets, please visit:
http://caamfest.com

3rd i Films presents: Rajnikanth and the Cult of the Superstar
2016-03-06 13:00 | ATA, 992 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA, 94608, United States
When: Sunday, March 6, 1pm
Where: ATA, 992 Valencia St, SF 94110
South Indian superstar Rajnikanth commands a fan base of dedicated supporters for whom fandom exists beyond just assiduously watching his films–it means frenzied celebrations at movie releases, and birthdays that have over time garnered legendary reputations. This talk explores the political and social history of fandom in South India, and specifically that of Rajinikanth himself, that has over time contributed to his larger than life on-screen and off-screen persona. We explore the lives of fans willing to dedicating their entire careers and fortunes to the star’s cause, with clips from an upcoming documentary on Rajinikanth’s fans, For the Love of a Man.
Joyojeet Pal is a professor at the School of Information at the University of Michigan, where his work focuses on technological accessibility for people with disabilities. He is also the producer and researcher of For the Love of a Man, shot over five years in Tamil Nadu, India.

3rd i Co presents: "The Journey Within" at the SF Indie Fest
2016-02-20 16:30 | Roxie Theater, 3117 16th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94103, United States
When: Saturday, Feb 20, 2016 – 4:30 PM
Where: Roxie Theater
Click here for tickets
Price: $12 (advance)/$13 (door)
18th SF INDIEFEST runs through February 25th
Faced with the challenges of war and conflict, several musicians in post-9/11 Pakistan go on a quest for self-identity and start a music show designed to help reclaim the rich and vast musical heritage of the region. Bringing together unique cultural experiences and musical genres, including but not limited to Folk, Sufi, Rock, Pop and Rap, the filmmakers capture the show from its humble beginnings. The result is an experience that unifies eastern and western sounds to make music that resonated across the globe and inspired inward reflection.

Om Dar-B-Dar
2015-11-01 19:15 | CineArts at Palo Alto Square, 3000 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA, 94306, United States
US Premier
Digitally Restored Version! Special thanks to NFDC for making this screening possible.
Set in the picturesque town of Ajmer, Rajasthan, Kamal Swaroop’s film is a cult classic with feminist overtones, and a colorful cast of characters including a young boy who can hold his breath, a runaway Bollywood actress with a shady past, a merchant who believes he can defecate diamonds, and a gang of terrorist tadpoles. Touted as “the great Indian LSD trip,” the film premiered to rave reviews at the Berlin Film Festival in 1988, and has since then achieved mythological status in India, influencing a whole generation of filmmakers. Swaroop draws irreverently from mythology, politics, philosophy and popular culture to create a genre-defying film that one critic hailed as “the antithesis to what is globally considered Indian cinema.”

Jai Ho
2015-11-01 17:15 | CineArts at Palo Alto Square, 3000 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA, 94306, United States
Followed by Skype Q&A with filmmaker.
Umesh Aggarwal’s Jai Ho is an unparalleled and exclusive look into one of the most iconic musicians of our time – A.R. Rahman. Most renowned in the West for his Oscar and Grammy Award-winning soundtrack to Slumdog Millionaire, the “Mozart of Madras” is a household name in India with over 120 film scores under his belt. His effortless blend of Eastern sensibility with Western technology has changed the face of film music in India. This doc charts his incredible rise to fame — from his humble beginnings in the Tamil film industry to working with Andrew Lloyd Webber in London — and beyond. Rahman talks about his work and life experiences in unprecedented personal terms, and provides a glimpse into the spirituality that drives his genius.

Petals in the Dust
2015-11-01 14:45 | CineArts at Palo Alto Square, 3000 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA, 94306, United States
Palo Alto Premier
Followed by panel discussion with filmmaker
Nyna Pais Caputi’s empowering doc examines the condition of an endangered class of people in modern India. They come from all walks of life and share only one common trait: they are female. Women from all economic backgrounds continue to lose their lives to infanticide, sex-selective abortions, starvation and medical neglect, dowry deaths, brutal gang rapes, and more. It is estimated that by 2020 there will be 20 percent more men than women in India! The film explores the cultural origins of this deeply embedded social violence, and profiles both the unimaginable stories of brave survivors, and the inspiring work of activists and gender experts who are helping to change the status quo.

Voices of Partition
2015-11-01 12:00 | CineArts at Palo Alto Square, 3000 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, CA, 94306, United States
Bay Area Premier
Followed by Q&A with filmmaker, and panel discussion organized by 1947 Partition Archive featuring Partition witnesses Muzzafer Haider and Amarjit Sidhu, and Citizen Historian Prakhar Joshi.

The 1947 Partition stands as the largest human displacement in history: over 2 million people lost their lives, while 14 million were displaced. The 1947 Partition Archive preserves eyewitness accounts from all communities affected by Partition. To date, over 2000 unique life stories have been recorded in 10 countries. Presented in collaboration with The Archive, the Voices of Partition program features Mara Ahmed’s A Thin Wall (2015, Pakistan/India, 65 mins). Infused with music and poetry, the documentary examines memory, history and the possibility of reconciliation with lessons that remain urgently relevant even today. Shot on both sides of the border, in India and in Pakistan, the film offers an intimate perspective on Partition, rooted in stories passed down from one generation to another. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion with the filmmaker, Partition witnesses from the community, and a Citizen Historian.
