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• Special showcase in partnership with Qatar Museums and Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival to present works by contemporary Indian filmmakers breaking cinematic boundaries

Doha, Qatar; 30 June 2019: The Doha Film Institute (DFI) in partnership with Qatar Museums and the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival will mark the Qatar-India 2019 Year of Culture by screening a selection of three contemporary films by some of India’s most exciting filmmakers, every weekend from 4 July to 20 July, at the Museum of Islamic Art auditorium.

A Qatar Museums initiative, the Year of Culture is a year-long programme developed to deepen understanding between nations through mutual exchanges of arts, culture, heritage and sport. Through many events and initiatives, it invites audiences in both countries to explore their cultural similarities, as well as celebrate their differences.

The DFI Indian Cinema- Summer Hits showcase will screen three award-winning films by emerging and established filmmaking talent that bridge the divide between commercial and independent cinema, and paint a different cinematic canvas employing alternative storytelling techniques that is universal in global aesthetics but rooted in local content.

Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Chief Executive Officer of the Doha Film Institute, said: “We are delighted to present this special programme of genre-bending films that showcase the best in contemporary Indian cinema to audiences in Qatar. The Indian film industry has been a powerhouse for many years now, producing the largest number of feature films in the world. Due to the wide reach and popularity of Indian cinema, films from this culturally diverse nation throughout its rich history has evolved as a form but has remained remarkably distinctive. We look forward to audiences discovering the rich complexity and diversity of new age Indian storytelling through the lens of these talented filmmakers who are breaking fresh grounds for Indian cinema globally.”

The special showcase will kick off on 4 July at 7 PM with Village Rockstars (2017), by writer, director and producer Rima Das at 7PM. The coming-of-age film is set in a small village in Northeast India. Its main character, 10-year-old Dhunu, is spirited, imaginative, and determined. She dreams of being in a rock band and has ambitions to learn the guitar but faces daily struggles, which she faces with the help of a group of boys and her widowed mother. Village Rockstars won Best Film at India’s prestigious National Film Awards, as well as several other international awards and was India’s official entry to the Best Foreign Language film category at the 2018 Academy Awards®. The film also screens at 4 PM and 7 PM on 5 and 6 July.

Vasan Bala’s Mard Ko Dard Nahi Hota (2018) will be screened at 7 PM on 11 July with repeat screenings at 4 PM and 7 PM on 12 and 13 July. It is a whimsical action comedy that tells the story of young boy, Surya, who was born with the rare condition of congenital insensitivity, meaning he cannot feel pain – so he decides to learn martial arts to hunt down and catch criminals. The film premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, where it won the People’s Choice Award, Midnight Madness. Bala is a writer, actor, and director best known for his crime thriller Peddlers that premiered at the La Semaine de la Critique parallel segment at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival.

Sriram Raghavan’s Andhadun (2018) adapted from the French short film L’Accordeur screens at 7 PM on 18 July. A suspense crime thriller, Andhadhun tells the story of a talented but seemingly blind pianist who unwittingly becomes embroiled in a number of problems as he witnesses the murder of a former film actor. Starring Ayushman Khurana, Tabu and Radhika Apte in lead roles, the film received widespread critical acclaim and commercial success globally and is the third highest grossing Indian film ever at the Chinese box office. Andhadhun has won awards for Direction, Editing, Screenplay and Best Film at the Screen and Filmfare Awards in India, and is regarded as one of the best thrillers from Bollywood in a very long time. Additional screenings take place at 4 PM and 7 PM on 19 and 20 July.

Tickets are priced QAR 35. Students and Culture Pass by Qatar Museum members can enjoy discounted rates of QAR 25 per person. Tickets are available at the DFI ticket outlet opposite the MIA auditorium and online at www.dohafilminstitute.com, where the full programme of film screening times, ratings, and runtimes can also be found.