The Fourth Annual Caleidoscope, the largest competitive South Asian film festival in Boston, USA, was held for 8 days this year, from Dec 2 to Dec 9, 2018 and attended by over 500 cine lovers
The best contemporary arthouse films from the Indian sub-continent are chosen for Caleidoscope. Here are the results as selected by the jury team of eight judges:
Best Film – Pupa directed by Indrasis Acharya
Best Director – Ektara Collective for Turup
Best Actor – Subba Rao Vepada (Raju in C/O Kancharapalem)
Best Actress – Neelofer Hamid (Neela in Half Widow)
Best Performance In Negative Role – Irfan Khan (Aadam in The Song of Scorpions)
Technical Excellence Award – The Song of Scorpions directed by Anup Singh
Best Short Film – Katran directed by Prem Singh
Most Unique Film – Aami Joy Chatterjee directed by Manoj Michigan
Most Popular Film – The Song of Scorpions directed by Anup Singh
Most Touching Film – Manusangada directed by Amshan Kumar
Audience Choice Best Film – Evening Shadows directed by Sridhar Rangayan
Below is the list of all Caleidoscope 2018 films. If you have trouble clicking on them from the phone, please use a PC/laptop browser. For a collection of pictures at awards dinner, please click here
Pre Festival: Sunday, Dec 2, 1 PM
Film: Flat Number 609 (2018)
Language: Bengali with English Subtitles
Apple Cinemas, Cambridge
168 Alewife Brook Pkwy, Cambridge, MA 02138
Directed by Arindam Bhattacharya
Key Actors: Soumitra Chatterjee, Abir Chatterjee, Mamata Shankar, Tanushree Chakraborty, Pujarini Ghosh
Synopsis: A thriller story of an young couple who moves into an apartment uninformed about its past.
Tickets: $15
Monday, Dec 3, 6 PM
Opening Film: Teen Aur Adha (Three and a Half, 2018)
Language: Hindi/Marathi with English Subtitles
Wellesley Community Center
219 Washington St, Wellesley Hill, MA 02481
Presented by Anurag Kashyap, Director: Dar Gai
Key Actors: Arya Dave, Zoya Hussain, Jim Sarbh
Synopsis: The story of one house in three different eras. Where 50 years ago it was divided between a school and an apartment, in which a young boy struggles with the pressures of pre-pubescent school life. The same building 20 years later becomes home to a brothel, where a young unexploited concubine is dealing with her self-proclaimed “first” client. 30 years later these same walls surround a sublime home which belongs to a soul-stirring 75 year old couple who love, laugh and dance together. They whisper the secrets of time forgone and seemed to have overcome the undying need for love and escape which seems to have plagued the inhabitants of this house in the past.
Short Film: Feature Film will start at 6:30 PM after screening of short film Taeb – The Stitch (silent) at 6 PM. This film is directed by Asiya Zahoor and depicts the mind of a small girl in war torn Kashmir, where she expresses her simple desires through art.
Transportation: Location best accessed by car. Ample free parking available at WCC as well as overflow at the church next door.
Tickets: $15
Tuesday, Dec 4, 6 PM
Film: Pupa (2018), Americas Premier
Language: Bengali with English Subtitles
LTC (ltc.org) Gallery
246 Market Street, Lowell MA 01852
Director: Indrasis Acharya
Key Actors: Rahul Banerjee, Kamaleswar Mukherjee, Sudiptaa Chakraborty
Synopsis: Four Paused lives-one tough decision. An Ailing father, An academic mind, An Aspired soul and amicable affection want to come out from a deep rooted uncertain problem. Very relevant to caring for an elderly relative in a home healthcare situation while balancing life’s opportunities.
Note: Feature Film will start at 6:30 PM after screening of short film Katran (Hindi, director Prem Singh) earlier. Katran is a powerful film of an elderly couple who have decided to part ways amidst frequent conflict and yet suddenly realize the bond between them
Multiple Parking lots available around LTC, plus on street parking
Tickets: $15 Early Bird online
Wednesday, Dec 5, 6 PM
Film: Manusangada (Cry Humanity, 2017), North America Premier
Language: Tamil with English Subtitles
Wellesley Community Center
219 Washington St, Wellesley Hill, MA 02481
Director: Amshan Kumar
Key Actors: Rajeev Anand, Manimegalai, Sheela Rajkumar
Synopsis: Kolappan, a low caste Dalit, is forced by upper caste people to carry his father’s corpse through a thorny and unformed route to an uncertain graveyard. When he finds the official powers aligning with casteist forces, Kolappan begins a protest to enforce social liberty equal to all. Based on a true story, that has a powerful ending.
Note: Feature Film will start at 6:30 PM after screening of short Hindi film Dhinchak Chor (director K. K. Pandya) earlier. This is a humorous take of a robber who commiserates with the sufferings of his victim.
Ample free parking available at WCC as well as overflow at the church next door.
Tickets: $15
Wed, Dec 5, 6:30 PM (alternate venue film)
Film: Juze (2017)
Language: Konkani with English Subtitles
Gaige Hall Auditorium, Rhode Island College
600 Mount Pleasant Avenue, Providence RI 02908
Director: Miransha Naik
Key Actors: Hrishikesh Naik
Synopsis: A terrifying landlord in a small Goan village drives Santosh, a stubborn teenager on his path to self-discovery; to make a brave and difficult choice.
Note: Parking available around campus. Feature film may be preceeded by a short film screening
Tickets: Free Screening but needs registration
Thursday, Dec 6, 6:30 PM
Film: Turup (Checkmate, 2017)
Language: Hindi with English Subtitles
Lexington Venue Theater
1794 Massachusetts Avenue, Lexington MA 02420
Director: Ektara Collective, directed as a group
Key Actors: Moulina Midde Sheela Rawat, Madhu Bhagat
Synopsis: Chess is a popular pastime in this neighbourhood, with roadside games bringing together men, to challenge each other in friendly and sometimes unfriendly matches. But for some, the pawns include morality and religion causing tensions to erupt when a tournament gets underway. Against this backdrop, a domestic worker with a secret hobby, a former journalist struggling with married life and a young woman in love, find themselves pushing boundaries and challenging the rules of the game. This is a crowdsourced movie shot at Chakki Chouraha neighborhood, Bhopal.
Short Film: The program will start at 6 PM with screening of MIT origin short film “Miya, Bibi aur Banana” directed by Nina Shrivastava. The story explores orthodox, archaic social taboos in India which often stand as an impediment of technology based progress.
Transportation: Best to arrive by car. Lexington center has both parking lots and on street parking. Come a little early.
Tickets: $15
Friday, Dec 7, 6:00 PM
Centerpiece Film: Evening Shadows (2018)
Language: Hindi with English Subtitles
Pao Arts Center
99 Albany Street, Boston MA 02111
(Entrance from ramp leading to I-90)
Director: Sridhar Rangayan
Key Actors: Mona Ambegaonkar, Ananth Mahadevan, Devansh Doshi
Q&A: Lead Actress Mona Ambegaonkar (from Mumbai) and producer Hussain Ali will be attending for a discussion after the screening
Synopsis: Under the ‘Evening Shadows’, truth often plays hide and seek. Set in South India and Mumbai, ‘Evening Shadows’ is a tender heartwarming story about a mother-son bond that has to withstand the ravages of time, distance and truths. This film has a LGBT theme.
Short Film: The well awarded short film “Life After” by Ria Tobaccowala will start the program at 6 PM, followed by the feature film and Q&A
Trnsportation: Strongly recommend using public transport – easy walking distance from South Station Red Line as well as Orange line from Chinatown. Come a little early.
Tickets: $15
Sat, Dec 8, 12:30 PM
Film: Aami Joy Chatterjee (2018)
Language: Bengali with English Subtitles
Gaige Hall Auditorium, Rhode Island College
600 Mount Pleasant Avenue, Providence RI 02908
Director: Manoj Michigan
Key Actors: Abir Chatterjee, Jaya Ahsan, Shataf Figar
Q&A: Producer Shivanggi Choudhury of Aadiv Kreation will be attending for a discussion after the screening
Synopsis: “Aami Joy Chatterjee” is the journey of a ruthless, self-centered and egoistic businessman Joy, whose definition of life and its situations is described by the all important ‘I’ , ‘me’ and ‘myself’. One fine day, life throws him a googly and Joy Chatterjee goes missing – This is the journey of a man who realizes that the ‘I’ or ‘Aami’ is transient which fades out of being.Jaya Ahasan plays a pediatrician and his fiance and Shataf Figar plays an ACP investigating a bizarre case.
Note: Parking available around campus. Feature film may be preceded by a short film screening
Tickets: Free screening
Sat, Dec 8, 3 PM
Film: Half Widow
Language: Hindi with English subtitles
Gaige Hall Auditorium, Rhode Island College
600 Mount Pleasant Avenue, Providence RI 02908
Director: Danish Renzu
Key Actors: Neelofer Hamid, Mir Sarwar, Shahnawaz Bhat
Q&A: Chief iDialogue Writr and Lyricist Sunayana Kachroo will be attending for a discussion after the screening
Synopsis: This is a story of a woman separated by war from her husband and how she lives without knowing whether she with ever see him back.
Note: Parking available around campus. Feature film may be preceded by a short film screening
Tickets: Free screening with registration
Sun, Dec 9, 12:30 PM
Film: The Song of Scorpions (2017)
Language: Hindi with English Subtitles
Apple Cinemas
168 Alewife Brook Pkwy, Cambridge MA 02138
Director: Anup Singh
Key Actors: Irfan Khan, Golshifteh Farahani, Waheeda Rehman
Synopsis: A story of twisted love, revenge and the redemptive power of a song.
Note: Plenty of free parking available at Apple Cinemas.
Tickets: $15
Sun, Dec 9, 3 PM
Closing Film: C/o Kancharapalem (2018)
Language: Telegu with English Subtitles
Apple Cinemas
168 Alewife Brook Pkwy, Cambridge MA 02138
Director: Maha Venkatesh
Key Actors: Radha Bessy, Mohan Bhagath, Praveena Paruchuri
Q&A: Director Maha Venkatesh (from India) and producer Praveena Paruchuri will be attending for a discussion after the screening
Synopsis: This is an unconventional love story set in the town and including the people of Kancherapalem. Very highly rated.
Note: Plenty of free parking available at Apple Cinemas.
Tickets: $15