Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2014

Overview

While most people think of Hollywood as the movie capital of the world, in reality that title belongs to Mumbai. With an output of more than 1,000 feature films a year, India’s big-screen industry dwarfs its American counterpart, churning out comedies, dramas, action flicks and — of course — musicals, the best of which will be showcased in Australia as part of the third annual Indian Film Festival of Melbourne.

Held at Hoyts Cinemas in Melbourne Central and Chadstone, this year’s festival will begin with a special 3D restoration of the 1975 action epic Sholay, introduced in person by its legendary star Amitabh Bachchan. From there the festival splits into four streams: Hurrah Bollywood focuses on the years’ biggest commercial hits, while Beyond Bollywood draws attention to smaller films produced outside Mumbai’s studio system. The New Voices section highlights independent works by fledgling directors, including Ritish Batra’s international festival favourite The Lunchbox. Lastly, From the Subcontinent features a collection of films from India’s neighbours in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nepal.

In addition to the movies, the IFFM 2014 program contains a host of special events, including filmmaking masterclasses, guest Q&As and free screenings at Fed Square, plus a live Bollywood dance contest with a free trip to India for the winner.

For the full IFFM program, visit the festival website.