• National Award-winning director Rima Das’ film to premiere at Toronto film festival

    Entertainment
    National Award-winning director Rima Das’ film to premiere at Toronto film festival




     



    Digital Desk: The Covid-19 pandemic is the backdrop of Rima Das' most
    recent film, Tora's Husband, which won a National Award for Best Feature. It
    will be the first Indian film to be shown at the renowned Platform section of
    the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) later this month.



     



    Platform was established in 2015 as a competitive category, with a jury
    of worldwide film stars choosing the eventual winner. TIFF, North America's
    largest film festival, is recognised for its Audience Choice awards, which are
    frequently a tastemaker for the Oscars.



     



    The drama by an
    Assamese filmmaker is titled "A Loving Father Struggles to Keep His
    Small-Town Business Afloat While His Relationships Deteriorate During Personal
    Loss and Lockdowns During the Pandemic," according to TIFF.




    In a press
    release, TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey stated, "We started Platform to cast a
    brighter light on some of the most innovative films and different voices at our
    festival," adding, "Now in year seven, it's become a true home for
    international auteurs on the rise."



     



    Village
    Rockstars, Das' second full-length film, had its world premiere at TIFF in
    2017, which propelled it to recognition on a global scale. It received the
    National Award for Best Film and was India's official entry in the Best Foreign
    Language category of the Oscars. The very following year, at TIFF, her
    subsequent film, Bulbul Can Sing, also had its international premiere. This
    will be the third time that a movie of hers will have its premiere at TIFF.



     



    This year, ten
    movies will compete for the prize, which honours Platform, the second feature
    by Chinese director Jia Zhang-ke. "Eclectic in vision, this year's
    selection not only represents all world premieres of exciting, on-the-rise
    voices from around the world, it also reflects the very timely and unique
    perspectives of racialized filmmakers from diasporic communities broadening the
    canvas," said Anita Lee, chief programming officer of TIFF.



     



    "This year's Platform roster presents a varied variety of
    talent and various directorial voices that are emerging around the world, from
    first-time feature directors to veterans. The TIFF statement noted that the
    year was "full in viewpoints, genres, and outstanding performances by both
    emerging performers and veteran actors."