RIVER TO RIVER in MUMBAI

The River to River Indian Film Festival has been delighting Italian moviegoers for 14 years. It was yesterday at the Blue Frog Mumbai that its India Chapter came to life through the screening of a brief anthology of the festival's winners in the category of documentary film. The event kicked off with a trio of short films who won the Advantage India award, granted by the jury of partnering film distributor Pocket Films.

 

Film maker, Samvida Nanda, was present to receive the 1st Advantage India Prize for her short film The Frame and actor Krishna Wadia responded to a brief Q&A session on 3rd prize winner, Rani, by Manish Sharma, a film that was also awarded at the London Indian Film Festival.

L to R: Saameer Mody (Managing Director of Pocket Films), Selvaggia Velo (Director of R2R Film Festival) and Samvida Nanda (Winner of 1st Advantage India Prize for The Frame)

Chappalled, the 2nd prize Advantage India winner by film maker Yusuf Abidin, was  a highlight that we personally recommend. It is an excellently written and extremely refreshing short mockumentary that had most of the audience smiling or laughing throughout, thanks to its satirical view of politics, corruption and the media in India.

Shravan Katikaneni (Chronicles of a Temple Painter) and Selvaggia Velo (Director of R2R Film Festival)

The River to River component presented its three high-caliber awarded documentaries. 

Hechki (Hiccups) by Kartik Singh, keeps a tight plot pace that results in a warm ending. Chronicles of a Temple Painter by Shravan Katikaneni, deserves a special mention due to its content and craft. Through expert editing and the story of a simple family, Katikaneni succeeds in depicting the delicate subjects of communalism and social justice in India. Hank and Asha by James E. Duff was also a charmingly pleasant view. The long-distance relationship between the protagonists is impeccably shot, down to the dialogue and acting.

It was a successful first time event that we hope will find continuity in the cinema event niche in Mumbai.