About this Event
Sthal
Director: Jayant Digambar Somalkar
Cast: Nandini Chikte, Taranath Khiratkar, Sandip Somalkar, Sandip Parkhi, Sangita Sonekar, Suyog Dhawas
Language: Marathi
Length: 1 hour 44 minutes
Year Of The Film: 2023
Premiere status:
World Premiere
NETPAC Award
MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2023
Mumbai, India
October 31, 2023
Synopsis:
In a village in India, a determined young girl, Savita, yearns for education and a brighter future. However, as her farmer parents anxiously struggle to find a suitable match for her, societal expectations place immense pressure on her to prioritize marriage over personal aspirations.
Being dark-complexioned and short in height, Savita is seen as an added ‘burden’ on her parents and ‘marrying her off’, as difficult as finding fair price for their crop. Facing countless rejections from potential suitors, she must navigate a world where the pursuit of marriage overshadows the very sustenance of life.
Shot on real locations with real people from the village, all non-actors, Sthal (A Match) is the director's debut feature film that explores the tradition of arranged marriages in rural India while highlighting patriarchy, colorism and social evil deeply rooted in society.
Director: Jayant Digambar Somalkar
Born in a village in the Vidarbha region of India, Jayant Digambar Somalkar is an engineering graduate, but his creative bent of mind made him veer towards filmmaking. He began his career as an assistant on TV ads and corporate films. Then he started writing for several popular TV comedy shows and kid’s animation shows.
His debut short film, 'Iyatta- Class,' was a part of many national and international short film festivals and also won several awards.
He has co-written and co-directed the Amazon Prime Video Original Series 'Guilty Minds,' which received critical acclaim and was recognized as one of the best Indian series of 2022.
'Sthal - A Match’ is Jayant’s debut Marathi feature film which he has written, directed and co-produced. The film is shot mostly in his own native village, Dongargaon and the cast consists of real people from the village, all non-actors.
Chunaav
Director: Avinash Shriram Shembatwad
Cast: Divya Raut, Nanaji Kawade
Year Of The Film: 2023
Language: Hindi
Length: 13 minutes 59 seconds
Premiere status:
Mumbai International Short Film Festival
PUNE, India. Best social film
Synopsis:
Chunaav is a story of a naxal affected tribal village in Chandrapur where Naxalite call for boycott of General elections. One old man decides to stand against all to save democracy.
Director: Avinash Shriram Shembatwad
Director Avinash Shembatwad is a civil servant working as executive magistrate (Tahsildar) in Jiwati taluka, a remote areas in the deep forests of Chandrapur. Chunaav is his first short film, in which all the actors are from local tribal community with no acting background.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Village East by Angelika, 181-189 2nd Avenue, New York, United States
USD 15.00
