The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York has announced a film series titled ‘Making Waves: A New Generation of Indian Independent Filmmakers’, to showcase the works of independent filmmakers that has flourished outside of the mainstream film industry in recent years.
Conceptualised as a survey of works made since 2010, in different languages ranging from Assamese, Bengali, Dogri, Gojri, Hindi, to Malayalam, Marathi, Maithili, Tamil, and others; the series includes 16 features and five short films that take one on a cinematic journey across India.
Achal Mishra’s Gamak Ghar (2019) will be the opening night film. Anamika Haksar’s Ghode Ko Jalebi Khilane Le Ja Riya Hoon (2022), Pushpendra Singh’s Laila Aur Satt Geet (2020) and Lajwanti (2014), Arun Karthick’s Nasir (2020), Sanal Kumar Sasidharan’s Sexy Durga (2017), Anand Gandhi’s Ship Of Theseus (2013) and Payal Kapadia’s A Night Of Knowing Nothing (2021), Amit Dutta’s experimental works Nainsukh (2010), Drawn From Dreams (2019), and Bat Like Devil Chaser With A Top Hat, are amongst the films that will be screened.
The programme note read, “Stylistically and formally diverse and inventive, these films offer a panoramic view of Indian life and culture while revealing the artistic, political, and philosophical inquiries that have inspired the filmmakers. Collectively, these films amplify Indian cinema as a multifaceted expression that is as colorful and heterogeneous as the nation itself.”
The series is organized by Department of Film curator La Frances Hui, with thanks to producer and film programmer Anu Rangachar, filmmakers Arun Karthick, Pushpendra Singh, Tanmay Chowdhary, and Bina Paul, senior program assistant at the Department of Film Olivia Priedite and curator Theodore Lau.
The screenings will be held from 15 September - 12 October at the Debra and Leon Black Family Film Center in New York city.