HOUSTON: The Indian Film Festival of Houston (IFFH) has several surprises in store, according to Sutapa Ghosh, founder and executive director of the city’s annual cultural event. Celebrating its fourteenth anniversary, it will mark the seventy-fifth year of India’s independence. Called Azadi KaAmrit Mahotsav, the country remembers the long struggle for freedom.
On August 15, 1947, the dream became reality. Despite many struggles and challenges, India has become a modern nation, as well as one of the largest democracies in the world, and its economy continues to grow.
Indian talents such as Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, poet, philosopher, composer and painter, have become more well-known worldwide. This year, the festival will pay tribute to another multi-talented Indian, Satyajit Ray, in the hundredth year of his birth. He is credited with bringing Indian cinema to the world. The first film he directed, Pather Panchali, has won global recognition and awards. Throughout his career he has been celebrated from Berlin to Cannes, San Francisco to Tokyo, Acapulco to Auckland and many places in between. Ray is generally recognized as one of the greatest filmmakers in the world. He often composed the score and wrote the lyrics in addition to writing the screenplays.
Houston audiences are in for a treat. On Saturday, October 15, 2022, they will see two of Ray’s feature films: Charulata (The lonely woman), and Shatranj Ke Khilari (The Chess Players). As in previous years, the venue is the Asia Society Texas Center. Moodafaruka will provide music, while Veranda Restaurant will serve food.
Special plans are in effect for the fifteenth anniversary of the IFFH. The date of the festival will change to February 23, 24 and 25 from 2023. The three-day event will showcase short films, documentaries and feature films. In addition, there will be entertainment, an awards ceremony and a seated dinner.
Join us in celebrating the world of Indian films. For more information, visit https://iffhinc.org.
