3rd i

Random Acts of Legacy
2017-11-10 19:15 (America/Los_Angeles) | New People Cinema, 1746 Post Street, San Francisco, CA, 94115, United States
Filmmaker via Skype

In this gorgeous, multi-layered documentary about immigration and integration, Ali Kazimi brilliantly weaves a rich tapestry of history and memory to offer an unusual portrait of a family of color in middle America.
For many minorities, home movies used to be a luxury, and their rare existence lends insight into personal lives otherwise omitted from moving image history. When Kazimi (who has been rescuing these orphaned and decaying home movies) found himself in an online bidding war for film footage from 1936 to 1951, he knew he had stumbled upon a rare artifact.
A 3rd i alumnus, Kazimi is well-known for his outstanding doc, A Continuous Journey, which chronicles the history of Sikh migration to Canada. Set in Chicago between the Great Depression and the post-war era, this award-winning film peeks into the everyday life of a commercial artist and his trailblazing wife, to reveal the experiences of a first-generation Chinese family in America.

3rd i's San Francisco International South Asian Film Festival 2017
2017-11-09 19:15 - 21:30 | CA
November 9-12, New People Cinema and Castro Theatre, San Francisco
November 18, BlueLight Cinema, Cupertino
Come celebrate 3rd i’s fifteenth anniversary this year, as the annual SF International South Asian Film Festival presents some of the best cinema from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Canada, Australia, and the USA. This year’s festival captures the political zeitgeist of our times, offering reflections on the democratic process, the power of the vote, and on the legacy of political revolutions. Home movies become rich fodder for filmmakers, their celluloid memories resurfacing stories about family, immigration, and cross-cultural dialogue. Voices from the margins circulate through the program, centering women’s unsung labor, queer voices, and disappearing landscapes. As always the shorts program gathers an impressive range of local and international offerings, while Bollywood is served up two ways – neo-noir and classic camp.

Abu (Father)
2017-11-09 19:15 | New People Cinema, 1746 Post Street, San Francisco, CA, 94115, United States
Filmmaker in Person

Deeply moving and smart, Arshad Khan’s outstanding documentary is a quintessential immigrant story that captures the tumultuous journey of his family’s move to Canada, from Pakistan, in the early 90s. These were Arshad’s teenage years, made all the more confusing by his budding queer sexuality. While the Khans had always struck a balance between traditional and modern values, this was where they drew the line.
Arshad poignantly recalls the balancing act, managing his family’s expectations with his own hopes and dreams. His once-liberal parents had traded assimilation for fundamentalism, moving towards a conservative strain of Islam, while Arshad was becoming deeply involved in the cultural and political fabric of his new home. Peppered with animations, snippets from Bollywood, and a treasure trove of home movie footage, Abu offers a complex and nuanced portrait of a family trying to hold on to one another in spite of all the challenges.

Second screening of "The Hate Man" doc
2017-09-24 19:00 | Artists’ Television Access, 992 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
Come celebrate all things “Hate Man” on what would have been the 81st birthday weekend of a person many felt was the nucleus of Berkeley’s street life for the past 50 years.
3rd i Films, MiDNiTES FOR MANiACS, and ATA co-present the 33-minute director’s cut of Ivan Jaigirdar’s The Hate Man, Street Philosopher (2002, director Ivan Jaigirdar) along with a slew of shorts and clips.
“This moving portrait of a Berkeley street philosopher explores the Hate Man’s enigmatic life, including why, thirty years ago, he chose to quit his job as a successful New York Times journalist, drop out of mainstream society and live in the streets. Challenging conventional notions of success, conformity, progress and morality, ‘Hate’ lucidly discusses and defends his own ‘downward mobility’ and personal theories of human communication among countless other issues.” Introduced by his nephew Jesse Hawthorne Ficks.
September 24, Sunday, 7:30 pm – The Hate Man Lives

The New Talkies
2017-09-22 20:00 | Artists’ Television Access, 992 Valencia Street, San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
An evening-length program featuring live film narrations by Jaime Cortez, Douglas Kearney and Nicole McJamerson, Tatiana Luboviski-Acosta, Konrad Steiner, Jennifer Tamayo, Anuj Vaidja, and Stalina Emmanuelle Villarrea at Artists’ Television Access in the Mission. Arrive early, as this will be a full-house event! $10 admission.
Organized by Konrad Steiner and Anuj Vaidja, co-sponsored by The Poetry Center and Artists’ Television Access.
This evening of neo-benshi performances will consist of screening several film clips (short edits from feature films or other mass media) re-narrated live for the audience. Scripts are written and performed by authors from the Bay Area, New York, Los Angeles, and Houston to short excerpts from such blockbusters as The Sound of Music; the Mexican feature, Lola La Trailera (Lola the Truck Driver); the animated series Dora, the Explorer; and the obscure The Assassination of Trotsky; to the cult classic Carnival of Souls.
When: Friday, Sep 22, 8pm
Where: Artists’ Television Access
Cost: $10 (cash at the door)
More info: http://www.atasite.org/?p=11709

"The Unknown Craftsman"
2017-09-10 17:00 | BAMPFA, 2155 Center Street, Berkeley, CA, 94703, United States
The Unknown Craftsman
Sunday, September 10, 5 PM
Amit Dutta,  India, 2017
Sneak Preview!
Dutta’s magical new film follows an eighth-century architect across the lower Himalayas in search of a temple site, a voyage that becomes a spiritual quest. With short The Future of Cinema.
More info
Tickets

Amit Dutta: Three Shorts on Indian Painting at BAMPFA
2017-09-08 16:00 | BAMPFA, 2155 Center Street, Berkeley, CA, 94703, United States
Amit Dutta: Three Shorts on Indian Painting
Friday, September 8, 4 PM
Continuing the exploration begun in Nainsukh, three shorts—Gita Govinda, Field-Trip, and Scenes from a Sketchbook—see Dutta experimenting with radically different approaches to the master and his artistic descendants.
More info
Tickets

The Seventh Walk at BAMPFA
2017-09-07 19:00 | BAMPFA, 2155 Center Street, Berkeley, CA, 94703, United States
The Seventh Walk
Thursday, September 7, 7 PM
Amit Dutta,  India, 2013
Dutta returns to northern India’s Kangra Valley to consider the region’s legends, folk tales, and rich visual arts through the creative process of the contemporary landscape painter Paramjit Singh.
With Dutta’s dreamlike short To Be Continued.
More info
Tickets

"Nainsukh " at BAMPFA
2017-09-06 19:00 | BAMPFA, 2155 Center Street, Berkeley, CA, 94703, United States
Nainsukh
Wednesday, September 6, 7 PM
Amit Dutta,  India, Switzerland, 2010
Dutta painstakingly recreates the eighteenth-century artist Nainsukh’s brilliant miniature paintings through sumptuous compositions set amid palace ruins.
With Museum of Imagination: A Portrait in Absentia, on the great art historian B. N. Goswamy.
More Info
Tickets

"Even Red Can Be Sad " at BAMPFA
2017-09-03 17:00 | BAMPFA, 2155 Center Street, Berkeley, CA, 94703, United States
Even Red Can Be Sad
Sunday, September 3, 5 PM
Amit Dutta,  India, 2015
An intricately mosaicked portrait of nonagenarian artist Ram Kumar at home and in the studio. With short Chitrashala, which brings to life a series of painted tableaus in a former palace.
Tickets

3rd co-presents Amit Dutta’s Cinematic Museum at BAMPFA
2017-09-03 17:00 | CA
Presented in conjunction with the BAMPFA exhibition Divine Visions, Earthly Pleasures: Five Hundred Years of Indian Painting, Amit Dutta’s Cinematic Museum is a series of films exploring the visual arts of India.
More info/tickets at: http://bampfa.org/program/amit-dutta’s-cinematic-museum
Even Red Can Be Sad
Sunday, September 3, 5 PM
Amit Dutta,  India, 2015
An intricately mosaicked portrait of nonagenarian artist Ram Kumar at home and in the studio. With short Chitrashala, which brings to life a series of painted tableaus in a former palace.
Tickets

Nainsukh
Wednesday, September 6, 7 PM
Amit Dutta,  India, Switzerland, 2010
Dutta painstakingly recreates the eighteenth-century artist Nainsukh’s brilliant miniature paintings through sumptuous compositions set amid palace ruins.
With Museum of Imagination: A Portrait in Absentia, on the great art historian B. N. Goswamy.
Tickets

The Seventh Walk
Thursday, September 7, 7 PM
Amit Dutta,  India, 2013
Dutta returns to northern India’s Kangra Valley to consider the region’s legends, folk tales, and rich visual arts through the creative process of the contemporary landscape painter Paramjit Singh.
With Dutta’s dreamlike short To Be Continued.
Tickets

Amit Dutta: Three Shorts on Indian Painting
Friday, September 8, 4 PM
Continuing the exploration begun in Nainsukh, three shorts—Gita Govinda, Field-Trip, and Scenes from a Sketchbook—see Dutta experimenting with radically different approaches to the master and his artistic descendants.
Tickets

The Unknown Craftsman
Sunday, September 10, 5 PM
Amit Dutta,  India, 2017
Sneak Preview!
Dutta’s magical new film follows an eighth-century architect across the lower Himalayas in search of a temple site, a voyage that becomes a spiritual quest. With short The Future of Cinema.
Tickets

THE HATE MAN, STREET PHILOSOPHER: Free Outdoor Screening
2017-08-26 14:00 - 14:40 | BAMPFA, 2155 Center Street, Berkeley, CA, 94703, United States
The City of Berkeley and BAM/PFA will hold a FREE outdoor screening of documentary film, The Hate Man, Street Philosopher, directed by Ivan Jaigirdar
The Hate Man, Street Philosopher is a quirky, entertaining and moving portrait of a Berkeley street philosopher called the “Hate Man”. This 33-minute documentary explores Hate Man’s enigmatic life, including why he chose to quit his job as a successful New York Times journalist, drop out of mainstream society and live in the streets.
Challenging conventional notions of success, conformity, progress and morality, “Hate” lucidly discusses and defends his own “downward mobility” and personal theories of human communication. He emphasizes the importance of acknowledging negativity and critiques the positivist bias of American mass culture. Incorporating scenes of Hate’s acerbic, playful and witty heckling, the film investigates and addresses the religious, cultural and ideological paradoxes of a world where the Preachers of “love” damn us to hell, and the self-named “Hate Man” and his followers teach caring and an acceptance of diversity.
The film will be the centerpiece of an event to celebrate and commemorate beloved Berkeley figure, “Hate Man.” Other activities will include the presentation of a proclamation in his honor.
SPONSORS: Sponsored by Berkeley Council member Kriss Worthington, Council member Kate Harrison, Midnites for Maniacs, Artists’ Television Access and 3rd i Films.
Date: Saturday, August 26th, 2017
Time: 2PM
Location: BAM/PFA, 2155 Center St., Berkeley, CA
outdoor screening
FREE

3rd i Co-Presents ‘’Little Stones’’ at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival
2017-07-24 14:15 | Castro Theatre, 429 Castro Street, San Francisco, CA, 94114, United States
From a graffiti artist speaking out against domestic violence in the favelas of Brazil to a dancer rehabilitating sex-trafficking survivors in India, Little Stones profiles four women, each of whom are contributing a stone to the mosaic of the women’s movement through their art. These four artists show that the world is full of little stones waiting to be discovered.
This 87-minute documentary directed by Sophia Kruz and cinematographer Meena Singh (20 FEET FROM STARDOM, HOLLIDAYSBURG), with music by Amritha Vaz (500 DAYS OF SUMMER) was produced over a period of 18 months in Senegal, Kenya, Brazil, Germany, India and USA.
One of the artists featured, SOHINI CHAKRABORTY, from India, developed a program of contemporary movement therapy to begin to heal victims of sex trafficking without using words.
July 24, 2:15 PM, Castro Theatre, San Francisco
August 3, 2:00 PM, Albany Twin, Albany
For more information and tickets: https://sfjff.org/films/film-guide/little-stones

3rd i is proud to co-present three films at Frameline 41
2017-06-18 08:00 - 2017-06-23 18:30 | CA
ABU (Father)
Director: Arshad Khan
Growing up in a modern yet traditional Muslim family in Pakistan,
Arshad Khan couldn’t confide his attraction to boys. His moving journey
to self-acceptance, told through home movies, animation, film clips, and
pop songs, began after the family immigrated to Canada.
Canada/2017/95m
Castro Theatre: Thursday, June 22, 3:30 PM
More information and tickets: https://www.frameline.org/festival/film-guide/abu

GIRL UNBOUND
Director: Erin Heidenreich
The top-ranked female squash player in Pakistan, Maria Toorpakai has been a target of Taliban death threats since the age of sixteen. Through both peril and perseverance, she dares to defy those who seek to contain or categorize her.
Canada, Pakistan, USA/2016/80m
Castro Theatre: Sunday, June 18, 1:30 PM
Landmark Theater Piedmont: Friday, June 23, 7PM
More information and tickets: https://www.frameline.org/festival/film-guide/girl-unbound

SIGNATURE MOVE
Director: Jennifer Reeders
A closeted Muslim lawyer and a free-spirited Chicana bookstore owner find common ground in this heartfelt and funny film about how modern romance can arise from a path steeped in tradition.
USA/2017/80m
Castro Theatre: Friday, June 23,6:30 PM
Landmark Theater Piedmont: Saturday, June 24, 6:45 PM
More information and tickets: https://www.frameline.org/festival/film-guide/signature-move

3rd i Films co-presents at Queer Women of Color Film Festival
2017-06-09 19:30 | Brava Theater Center, 2789 24th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
QWOCMAP’s 13th annual Queer Women of Color Film Festival will premiere 28 films in four screenings. The “Beloved Community” Festival Focus includes an “Unleash The Power” conversation on collective self-care for challenging political times. From the resilient wisdom of LBTQ people of color to the power of prayer for a young Muslim woman and a young Black Christian woman, these films encourage communities to find their squad and unleash their super powers to create change. All films are Subtitled for the Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing and ASL interpretation will be provided along with many other forms of disability access.
Opening Night: sadāqa by Neelu Bhuman
The immense strength of friendship among Asian women transcends borders in sadāqa.
Part of the “Beloved Community” program, 7:30 pm, Friday, June 9, 2017.
Closing Night: Gumshuda (The Missing) by Monica James
The mystery of Gumshuda (The Missing) activates a South Asian woman filmmaker’s odyssey to the unlikely temple of Goludev.
Part of the “Tenacious for Love” program, 6:00 pm, Sunday, June 11, 2017.
Closing Night: To Be Me by Reva P
An action figure of Captain America unleashes new ways To Be Me.
Part of the “Tenacious for Love” program, 6:00 pm, Sunday, June 11, 2017.
All screenings at the Brava Theater Center
2789 24th Street @ York Street
San Francisco, CA 94110

3rd i Co-presents "Celluloid Man" at BAMPFA
2017-05-06 18:30 | BAMPFA, 2155 Center Street, Berkeley, CA, 94703, United States
3rd i co-presents two films at the Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA).
Celluloid Man
Saturday, May 6 – 6:30 PM
Shivendra Singh Dungarpur
India, 2012
Archival Print
Celebrate a passion for film with this portrait of the pioneering efforts of film preservationist P. K. Nair, who founded the National Film Archive of India in 1964. “One of the best movies ever made about cinema ” (Mark Cousins).
Shivendra Singh Dungarpur in person
Kalpana
Saturday, May 6 – 3 PM
Uday Shankar
India, 1948
Digital Restoration
This gorgeous experimental drama, the only film by celebrated dancer Uday Shankar (brother of Ravi Shankar), is the semi-autobiographical story of a young man’s dream to establish an arts academy in the Himalayas.
Introduction by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur

3rd i Co-presents "Kalpana" at BAMPFA
2017-05-06 15:00 | BAMPFA, 2155 Center Street, Berkeley, CA, 94703, United States
3rd i co-presents two films at the Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA).
Kalpana
Saturday, May 6 – 3 PM
Uday Shankar
India, 1948
Digital Restoration
This gorgeous experimental drama, the only film by celebrated dancer Uday Shankar (brother of Ravi Shankar), is the semi-autobiographical story of a young man’s dream to establish an arts academy in the Himalayas.
Introduction by Shivendra Singh Dungarpur

Celluloid Man
Saturday, May 6 – 6:30 PM
Shivendra Singh Dungarpur
India, 2012
Archival Print
Celebrate a passion for film with this portrait of the pioneering efforts of film preservationist P. K. Nair, who founded the National Film Archive of India in 1964. “One of the best movies ever made about cinema ” (Mark Cousins).
Shivendra Singh Dungarpur in person

3rd i co-presents Shah Rukh Khan in Person!!! at SFFilm Festival 2017
2017-04-14 20:30 | Castro Theatre, 429 Castro Street, San Francisco, CA, 94114, United States
A Conversation with SRK and screening of his film My Name is Khan
Shah Rukh Khan in Conversation: Shah Rukh Khan is not only one of India’s biggest-ever stars, his fame has transcended borders and brought him worldwide acclaim. Join powerhouse director-producer Brett Ratner for a conversation with Khan about his three-decade Bollywood career, followed by a screening of My Name Is Khan (2010).
My Name is Khan
Directed by Karan Johar
India 2010/165 min

My Name is Khan is an epic drama that tackles the subject of post 9/11 prejudice in America, as seen through the eyes of Rizwan Khan (Shah Rukh Khan), a devout Muslim who ends up on a cross-country Quest to meet the President. The film has musical numbers and underlying messages of tolerance, unconditional love, and truth-seeking which are all worth celebrating in theses challenging times…. especially with Shah Rukh Khan, in person.
Expected Guests in Attendance: Shah Rukh Khan in person!
Date & Time: April 14, 8:30 pm at the Castro Theatre
For tickets and information: http://www.sffilm.org/festival/lineup/a-tribute-to-shah-rukh-khan-my-name-is-khan

3rd i co-presents "The Cinema Travellers" at SFFilm Festival 2017
2017-04-09 18:00 | SFMOMA, 151 3rd St, San Francisco, CA, 94103, United States
The Cinema Travellers
Directed by Shirley Abraham, Amit Madheshiya
India 2016, 96 min
Hindi, Marathi with English Subtitles
A moving homage to the bygone era of celluloid, The Cinema Travellers captures the splendor of the moving image through India’s traveling movie caravans. Shot over five years, this intimate documentary takes the viewer on a cinematic journey joining the undaunted technicians, the projectionists who create movie magic, and the boisterous, overflowing crowd that await at each stop. The seeds for the film were planted by director Amit Madheshiya’s award-winning 2010 photography show of these mobile cinemas. That experience inspired Madheshiya and co-director Shirly Abraham to join the circuit with Akshay Touring Talkies company.
Expected Guests in Attendance: Directors Shirley Abraham and Amit Madheshiya expected to attend April 9th.
Date & Time: April 9, 6pm at SFMOMA
For tickets and information: http://www.sffilm.org/festival/lineup/the-cinema-travellers

3rd i co-presents "Hotel Salvation" at SFFilm Festival 2017
2017-04-07 20:15 | Roxie Theater, 3117 16th Street, San Francisco, CA, 94103, United States
Hotel Salvation
Directed by Shubhashish Bhutiani
India 2016 / 99 min / Hindi with English Subtitles
In Shubhashish Bhutiani’s winning debut feature, 77-year-old Dayanand sees his coming death in a dream and insists that his business-minded son take him to a hotel in the holy city of Varanasi. A moving and bittersweet drama that gracefully captures societal customs in India surrounding death and family, and is based on real hotels that administer such services. Hotel Salvation’s gentle rhythms and beautiful setting allow us to join these characters in contemplating the big questions in life—and death.
Date & Time: April 6, 3 pm at SFMOMA and
April 7, 8:15 pm at Roxie Theater
For tickets and information: http://www.sffilm.org/festival/lineup/hotel-salvation

3rd i co-presents "Hotel Salvation" at SFFilm Festival 2017
2017-04-06 15:00 | SFMOMA, 151 3rd St, San Francisco, CA, 94103, United States

3rd i co-presents "Brown Girls" at CAAMFest 2017
2017-03-16 18:30 | Alamo Drafthouse, 2550 Mission St, San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
Brown Girls
Directed by Sam Bailey
Loosely based on creator Fatimah Asghar’s own life, BROWN GIRLS follows the lives of Leila, a South Asian writer in the midst of navigating and owning her queerness, and her friend Patricia, who struggles to find meaning financially, romantically and creatively.
With its Broad City meets Insecure vibes, this new web series paints an intimate portrait of two young women of color navigating their relationships, families, sexual orientations and the messiness of being in your mid-20s.
Expected Guests in Attendance: Fatimah Asghar (Writer), Nabila Hossain (Actor)
Dates & Times
Alamo Drafthouse
March 16, 2017, 6:30 pm
For more information and tickets: http://caamfest.com/2017/films/brown-girls/
Read a Time magazine interview with Fatimah Asghar.

3rd i co-presents "Chee and T" at CAAMFest 2017
2017-03-11 15:10 | Alamo Drafthouse, 2550 Mission St, San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States
Chee and T
Directed by Tanuj Chopra
Narrative / USA / 2016 / Bay Area Connection, Comedy / 80 min / English / Color
San Francisco Premiere
Living in the tech bubble of Silicon Valley, dynamic duo Chee and T are anything but tech savvy. They just can’t seem to get things right while making a living off of odd jobs while knocking down doors and bullying locals to collect rent for Chee’s Uncle Rob, a wealthy landlord-tycoon. Trapped under Uncle Rob’s influence, Chee and T’s lives are stuck in neutral. That is until Uncle Rob asks them to take care of Mayunk— his once shy, now wild young nephew—and to get him ready for his engagement party. It’s an easy decision at first until they really begin to understand Mayunk. That’s when the real challenge begins.
In this charming buddy comedy, director Tanuj Chopra delivers a new film that captures the growing pains of friendships and family and of becoming an adult.
Expected Guests in Attendance: Tanuj Chopra (Director/Writer), Sohini Sengupta (Producer), Sunkrish Bala (Actor)
Dates & Times
Alamo Drafthouse
March 11, 2017, 3:10 pm
For more information and tickets: http://caamfest.com/2017/films/chee-and-t/

3rd i co-presents "The Tiger Hunter" at CAAMFest 2017
2017-03-09 19:00 | Castro Theatre, 429 Castro Street, San Francisco, CA, 94114, United States
The Tiger Hunter
Directed by Lena Khan
USA / 2016 / 94 min
Sami Malek’s father is a tiger hunter; a man who stares danger in the eyes, takes aim and bang. With the same fearless blood running through him, Sami decides to leave his small Indian village to chase the American Dream. But once he arrives in the United States, reality sets in, and he realizes that this will be his grandest adventure yet.
Along the way, he does his best to woo his childhood sweetheart and develops friendships with a lovable and hilarious band of misfits, perfectly played by some of the best South Asian and South Asian American actors today.
Set in the 1970’s, THE TIGER HUNTER is a blast of nostalgia that chronicles the journey of many immigrants to America. Co-Director and Co-Writer Lena Khan’s bold debut feature will be CAAMFest ’s opening film at the Castro theater.
Expected Guests in Attendance: Lena Khan (Director) and Cast
Dates & Times
The Tiger Hunter
Castro Theater
March 9, 2017, 7:00 pm
For more information and tickets: http://caamfest.com/2017/films/tiger-hunter/

3rd i Films co-presents AFRO-ASIAN-AMERICAN CONVERSATIONS
2017-03-07 18:30 | Wyatt Pavilion Theater, UC Davis, Arboretum Dr, Davis, CA, 95616, United States
3rd i Films co-presents
with the “Reimagining Indian Ocean Worlds” Mellon Initiative
at University of California, Davis
AFRO-ASIAN-AMERICAN CONVERSATIONS
Two films that bring the African/African-American and South Asian communities into dialogue around issues of identity and immigration.

A Stray (2016, 82 min)
Director: Musa Syeed
When: Feb 23, 6:30pm
Where: International House (10 College Park, Davis, CA 95616)
In Minneapolis’ large Somali refugee community, Adan has nowhere to go. His mom kicked him out, and his friends are tired of his headstrong ways. As a last resort, he moves into the mosque, praying for a little help. Surprisingly, God seems to answer. Adan quickly lands a good job, devout friends, and a newfound faith. When Adan nearly hits a stray dog on the job, he’s forced to take it in for a night. But one of his new mosque friends considers the dog impure, and he throws Adan out. With Adan back on the streets, surrounded by his old crew, ex-girlfriends, prying FBI agents, and his estranged family, the dog may be his only friend as he tries to keep his faith and get through the night.
Korla (2015, 78 min, image at top of page)
Director: John Turner
When: Mar 7, 6:30pm
Where: Wyatt Pavilion Theater (UC Davis, Arboretum Dr, Davis, CA 95616)
As multifaceted as the sparkling jewel he wore on his turban, spiritual seeker Korla Pandit was a television pioneer and a godfather of the exotica music genre. From 1949, first in Los Angeles and subsequently in San Francisco, this self-described son of a Brahmin priest from New Delhi performed on TV daily while staring silently and dreamily into the camera. In the 1950s he charmed American housewives, and decades later he would emerge as a cult figure while playing at clubs populated by Los Angeles tiki-lounge-loving hipsters. Often pegged as a “man of mystery,” Korla lived up to that billing when his amazing secret was revealed upon his death in 1998. Korla Pandit’s dizzying life offers a revealing look into race and identity politics in America.
Series co-sponsors include: Midddle East/South Asia Studies, African-American Studies, South Asia Without Borders Initiative, International House, Performance Studies Graduate Group

3rd i Films co-presents AFRO-ASIAN-AMERICAN CONVERSATIONS
2017-02-23 18:30 | International House, UC Davis, 10 College Park, Davis, CA, 95616, United States
3rd i Films co-presents
with the “Reimagining Indian Ocean Worlds” Mellon Initiative
at University of California, Davis
AFRO-ASIAN-AMERICAN CONVERSATIONS
Two films that bring the African/African-American and South Asian communities into dialogue around issues of identity and immigration.
A Stray (2016, 82 min)
Director: Musa Syeed
When: Feb 23, 6:30pm
Where: International House (10 College Park, Davis, CA 95616)
In Minneapolis’ large Somali refugee community, Adan has nowhere to go. His mom kicked him out, and his friends are tired of his headstrong ways. As a last resort, he moves into the mosque, praying for a little help. Surprisingly, God seems to answer. Adan quickly lands a good job, devout friends, and a newfound faith. When Adan nearly hits a stray dog on the job, he’s forced to take it in for a night. But one of his new mosque friends considers the dog impure, and he throws Adan out. With Adan back on the streets, surrounded by his old crew, ex-girlfriends, prying FBI agents, and his estranged family, the dog may be his only friend as he tries to keep his faith and get through the night.

Korla (2015, 78 min)
Director: John Turner
When: Mar 7, 6:30pm
Where: Wyatt Pavilion Theater (UC Davis, Arboretum Dr, Davis, CA 95616)
As multifaceted as the sparkling jewel he wore on his turban, spiritual seeker Korla Pandit was a television pioneer and a godfather of the exotica music genre. From 1949, first in Los Angeles and subsequently in San Francisco, this self-described son of a Brahmin priest from New Delhi performed on TV daily while staring silently and dreamily into the camera. In the 1950s he charmed American housewives, and decades later he would emerge as a cult figure while playing at clubs populated by Los Angeles tiki-lounge-loving hipsters. Often pegged as a “man of mystery,” Korla lived up to that billing when his amazing secret was revealed upon his death in 1998. Korla Pandit’s dizzying life offers a revealing look into race and identity politics in America.
Series co-sponsors include: Midddle East/South Asia Studies, African-American Studies, South Asia Without Borders Initiative, International House, Performance Studies Graduate Group

Between the Lines
2016-11-19 19:15 | BlueLight Cinemas 5, 21275 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino, CA, 95014, United States
BY POPULAR DEMAND, We have added a 9:15 Screening – tickets are available on Eventbrite:

PLEASE NOTE: Online tickets for 7:15pm screening are sold out. Your best bet is the RUSH LINE at the venue which will open 45 minutes prior to showtime.
Skype Q&A with Nandita Das and Subodh Maskara following 7:15pm screening!
(Ritesh Menon, India, 2015, 79mins) Nandita Das, one of India’s finest actresses, writes and stars in this stellar and pioneering cineplay–a new genre that adapts the stage for the screen. Shekhar is a high-profile criminal lawyer, while Maya balances work and life, drafting routine contracts for a law firm. As destiny would have it, they end up arguing on opposite sides of a criminal trial, resulting in the blurring of their personal and professional lives.
Co-written with Divya Jagdale, Between the Lines strikes a delicate balance between theater and cinematic realism. Das and her co-star Subodh Maskara give superlative performances, displaying great range and versatility, and bringing a natural chemistry to their on-screen relationship–which is hardly surprising since they are married in real life!
The nuanced script is never dull or preachy, instead it makes its statement subtly yet fearlessly, exploring the grey areas between tradition and modernity to examine how gender inequality cuts across class lines in an increasingly urban India.

Copresented with EnActe Arts.

Original Copy
2016-11-19 17:45 | BlueLight Cinemas 5, 21275 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino, CA, 95014, United States
(Florian Heinzen-Ziob & Georg Heinzen, India/Germany, 2015, 52mins) 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.

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

Lala Begum
2016-11-19 16:15 | BlueLight Cinemas 5, 21275 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino, CA, 95014, United States
(Mehreen Jabbar, Pakistan/India, 2016, 58mins) Starring legendary Pakistani actress Marina Khan (Tanhaiyan), and directed by 3rd i alumna Mehreen Jabbar (Ramchand Pakistani), Lala Begum is a complex and impressive drama that delves into the ghosts of Pakistan’s past.
It is the 1970s. Two estranged sisters Meher (aka Lala Begum) and Seher come to terms with their haunting past: the loves they shared, the sacrifices they made, and their struggles with the colonial heritage that defines their lives. What happens when after 20 years of estrangement, both the sisters are forced to have a face-to-face confrontation and try to move forward?
Evocative, dramatic and endearing, Lala Begum is part of Zeal for Unity, a series of films for TV envisioned as a cultural exchange program between Pakistan and India. As Mehreen says, this is “one of the strongest and most effective ways of promoting understanding and respect while learning from what we can offer each other.”

Korla
2016-11-19 14:00 | BlueLight Cinemas 5, 21275 Stevens Creek Blvd., Cupertino, CA, 95014, United States
Followed by panel discussion!!
(John Turner and Eric Christensen, USA, 2015, 78mins) In Hollywood there are many secrets, but only a few last a lifetime — now Korla’s can be revealed! As multifaceted as the sparkling jewel he wore on his turban, spiritual seeker Korla Pandit was a television pioneer and a godfather of the exotica music genre. From 1949, first in Los Angeles and subsequently in San Francisco, this self-described son of a Brahmin priest from New Delhi performed on TV daily while staring silently and dreamily into the camera.
In the 1950s he charmed American housewives, and decades later he would emerge as a cult figure while playing at clubs populated by Los Angeles tiki-lounge-loving hipsters. Often pegged as a “man of mystery,” Korla lived up to that billing when he took an amazing secret with him to his grave in 1998.
What lay behind Korla’s metaphysical musings, his cult status, and his Indian enigmatic facade? Find out in this fascinating and exotic tour through Pandit’s dizzying life.

Korla – Trailer from Appleberry Pictures on Vimeo.
