The 2009 Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) is pleased to present Spotlight On India, sponsored by the Jhamandas Watumull Fund.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE / PRURGENT
Honolulu, HI (October 15, 2009) – Indian cinema is one of the most popular film genres in the world and in celebration, the 2009 Hawaii International Film Festival (HIFF) is pleased to present Spotlight On India, sponsored by the Jhamandas Watumull Fund. This year’s films highlight Indian culture, music, and cinematic excellence.
The films include three Hawaii Premieres, Billu Barber, Delhi-6, and My Heart Goes Hadippa! (Dil Bole Hadippa!). In the romantic comedy My Heart Goes Hadippa our heroine must overcome social stereotypes to fulfill her dreams. In Delhi-6, music from Academy Award winner A.R. Rahman, drives a surprising love story of expression, identity, and breaking free from the typical Indian social structure. And in Billu Barber a simple man must resist change when he meets a superstar and finds his world turned upside-down.
An additional Indian film having its US Premiere is The Japanese Wife. This Watumull-sponsored film is the creation of director Aparna Sen. It is a haunting love story of a shy schoolteacher caught between the pull of his marriage – a long standing intimacy devoid of home life – and another undefined relationship that offers a comforting domesticity without any possibility of intimacy – thus becoming an unwitting partner to two solitary women.
Over 170 films from 36 different countries will be featured at this year’s festival. HIFF’s 2009 program is being held at the Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18 Theaters from October 15–25. Tickets are on sale now. General admission tickets are available for $10 or $9 for students, seniors, children and military. Tickets may be purchased in person at HIFF’s box office at 650 Iwilei Road #101 across from Regal Dole Cannery Stadium 18 Theaters or by phone at (808) 548-5905. The film guide is available now online at www.hiff.org. For more information please visit us at www.hiff.org.
FILM SYNOPSES: (All screening times subject to change)
(MY HIFF: Indicates Other Films Viewers Might Like)
BILLU BARBER
Spotlight on India
Hawaii Premiere
A simple man with a loving family finds his life changing in ways he never anticipated when a superstar strolls into his life, transforming everything around him. Billu Barber lives in a small village with his wife, Bindiya, and their two wonderful children. Though their lives are less than extraordinary, their love is plenty enough to keep everyone content...until their close brush with fame. Now, things are changing all around them, but is it possible to remain grounded while everyone you know is being swept off their feet? This screening is sponsored by the Jhamandas Watumull Fund.
India 2009 | Hindi w/ English subtitles | 138M
Director: Priyadarshan
Cast: Irrfan Khan, Lara Dutta, Om Puri, Rajpal Yadav, Shah Rukh Khan
17-Oct 4:15 PM Dole
19-Oct 2:45 PM Dole
MY HIFF: DELHI-6 / BOMBAY SUMMER
DELHI-6
Spotlight on India
Hawaii Premiere
Roshon comes to India for the first time with his grandmother. Having led a very western lifestyle in America, Roshan is unfamiliar with the people, customs and beliefs of India. Amidst all this culture shock, he meets the beautiful Bittu and helps her find identity and expression by ecouraging her to break free from the typical Indian social structure. The story of DELHI-6 is only made better with music by A.R. Rahman, who won two academy awards for the musical score of SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE. This screening is sponsored by the Jhamandas Watumull Fund.
India 2009 | Hindi w/ English subtitles | 140M
Director: Rakesh Omprakash Mehra
Cast: Waheeda Rehman, Abhishek Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor
23-Oct 5:30 PM Dole
MY HIFF: BILLU BARBER / BOMBAY SUMMER
DIL BOLE HADIPPA!
Spotlight on India
Hawaii Premiere
Veera works in a local theatre group but dreams of playing cricket in the big league. In a village where girls don’t play cricket, Veera has to put on a turban and beard and become a man to fulfill her dreams. And thus begins the roller-coaster journey of Veera. Filled with music, romance and comedy through Punjab and beyond, this tale of turbans, twists and tricks will make your heart go - hadippa! This screening is sponsored by the Jhamandas Watumull Fund.
India 2009 | Hindi w/ English subtitles | 150M
Director: Anurag Singh
Cast: Rani Mukherjee, Shahid Kapur, Rakhi Sawant
24-Oct 3:30 PM Dole
25-Oct 4:00 PM Dole
MY HIFF: BILLU BARBER / FRUITFLY
THE JAPANESE WIFE
Spotlight on India
U.S. Premiere
After corresponding for several years, Snehamoy Chatterjee, a shy math teacher in India, and Miyage, a woman from Japan decide to marry despite the distance between them. After 15 years of an intimate yet physically absent marriage, the delicate structure of Snehamoy’s and Miyage’s relationship is put to the test, when a recently widowed childhood friend arrives. THE JAPANESE WIFE is a haunting love story of a man who becomes an unwitting partner to two solitary women. This screening is sponsored by the Jhamandas Watumull Fund.
India 2009 | English, Japanese, Bengali w/ English subtitles | 105M
Director: Aparna Sen
Cast: Rahul Bose, Raima Sen, Moushumi Chatterjee, Chigusa Takaku
24-Oct 7:30 PM Dole
25-Oct 6:15 PM Dole
MY HIFF: BOMBAY SUMMER / APRIL BRIDE
Festival Information
Established in 1981, the Hawaii International Film Festival is dedicated to the advancement of understanding and cultural exchange among the peoples of Asia, the Pacific and North America through the medium of film. HIFF is the premier international film event in the Pacific and has won the praise of governments, filmmakers, scholars, educators, programmers and film industry leaders throughout the world. For the discovery and exhibition of Asian and Pacific features, documentaries and short films in the nation, it is a primary source. The festival has premiered such movies as Once Were Warriors, The Piano, Shine, Shall We Dance, Y Tu Mama Tambien and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Plus, Departures, a Japanese film, had its U.S. premiere at HIFF in 2008, won the HIFF Audience Award and then went on to win the 2009 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
HIFF’s major sponsors include: Regal Entertainment Group, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Hawaii, Halekulani, Hawaii Tourism Authority and The VILCEK Foundation.
The 2009 Hawaii International Film Festival will be held October 15-25. For more information please visit our website at www.hiff.org.
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