Caleidoscope Indian Film Festival of Boston organized by Indian Arts Boston Inc, a non profit Massachusetts organization, is the largest Indian Film Festival in the New England region of USA, which includes the six states of MA, RI, ME, VT, CT and NH. It is also the only South Asian Film Festival in this area that is recognized by IMDB. Caleidoscope provides a unique platform for upcoming art-house and differentiated films from the Indian sub-continent to be discovered and appreciated by a mainstream global audience. Boston being one of the greatest centers of education and cultural diversity is a perfect home for alternate genre cine lovers to celebrate the achievements of talented Indian filmmakers.
The festival started in 2015 with a single day of screening that included iconic films like Satyajit Ray’s Abhijaan (Hindi/Bengali), Chittagong (Hindi) and the original Devadasu (Telegu). Since then, the festival has grown in duration, diversity and focus, emphasizing contemporary issues including social justice, gender rights, discrimination, economic divides and exploitation, relationships, corruption, geopolitical upheavals, biographies and history. The festival accepts and screens features, shorts and documentaries across all common languages from the Indian sub-continent, and all films are sub-titled in English allowing mainstream audience to enjoy the films.
Over the past seven years, Caleidoscope has screened, even premiered several defining films of the Indian film industry including Chittagong, Teenkahon, Lipstick Under My Burkha, A Death in the Gunj, Sexy Durga, An Argumentative Indian, Bisorjon, Biryani, Barunbabur Bondhu, Pupa, Manusangada, The Song of Scorpions and Evening Shadows, to name just a few that the audience and jury adored. It is also one of the few Indian festivals that provide monetary awards to filmmakers for its top competitive section. The festival receives over 300 submissions each year, and the judging is performed meticulously to ensure merit based awards for selected filmmakers.
Caleidoscope was originally founded and run by Calcutta Club USA of Massachusetts. Starting in 2019, the festival has been organized by Indian Arts Organization, with the help of Calcutta Club USA and several other partner organizations.