<a href="https://www.indianfilmfestival.org/festival-info/passes-tickets/" target="_blank">Please note: You must purchase an INDIA PASS to watch this screening.</a> <a href="https://forms.gle/ArrdXoyke51txe4k9" target="_blank">﻿Do you want to send a message to the Filmmakers?</a>

13-year-old Bharat is struggling with adolescence in a patriarchal Mumbai suburb. His parents’ marriage is in crisis; the building bully constantly torments him for being too girly; and his only friend is a childish 11-year-old. Meera, a beautiful cosmopolitan woman from the big city, moves in next door and immediately causes a stir. Bharat is drawn to her and they pursue an unlikely friendship. When Meera introduces him to jazz and teaches him how to dance with a woman, he glimpses a world of exciting possibilities. But when he stumbles upon a dark secret from her past, Bharat is forced to choose: is Meera a woman of bad character like everyone says, or the smart, sensitive person he knows? How he reacts will determine the man he will grow up to be. &nbsp;THE TENANT introduces viewers to how teenagers negotiate India’s conservative gender codes. It also shows how women, when living on their own terms, are the target of gossip, desire and disdain. With sensitive perception, director Sushrut Jain drives home these cultural realities in a story of a boy standing alone in treating a woman with dignity, allowing the viewer to sift through the film’s memorable moments and be leavened by its lessons. This&nbsp;film&nbsp;is part of a special program&nbsp;entitled&nbsp;“Childhood on Edge”, curated by the&nbsp;legendary&nbsp;Uma&nbsp;da Cunha, who has been IFFLA’s Programming Advisor since the festival’s inception in 2002. The program features six films&nbsp;with diverse characters on the verge of the momentous transformation from childhood to adulthood.&nbsp; DIRECTOR<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/1e31dee0cb88762f3128a43644226678.jpg" style="display: inline; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px; float: left;">Sushrut&nbsp;Jain&nbsp;is an award-winning filmmaker driven by the desire to capture the drama of everyday Indian life. Born and raised in Mumbai, Sushrut came to the United States to pursue graduate work in Economics at Stanford University where he hoped to learn to solve the problems he saw growing up in a developing India. But his desire for a more humanistic approach to these problems and a passion for storytelling eventually led him to enroll in the graduate film program at USC. His debut short film ANDHERI&nbsp;(2009)&nbsp;was an official selection at the prestigious Clermont-Ferrand Festival, and went on to play at over 40 film festivals worldwide. He then directed a feature-length documentary centered around the 2011 World Cup of Cricket, BEYOND ALL BOUNDARIES(2013). The film, co-produced and narrated by Kunal Nayyar of THE BIG BANG THEORY, won several awards at film festivals in the US, and was acquired by a major Indian TV channel.

THE TENANT

A conservative Mumbai suburb is bestirred by the arrival of an alluring cosmopolitan woman in their midst. When a wide-eyed 13-year-old boy pursues a friendship with her, he stumbles upon her secret past and is thrust headlong into adulthood.

Q&A - THE TENANT

A conversation with director Sushrut Jain (THE TENANT)

Based on true incidents, Kripal Kalita’s debut feature BRIDGE reveals the unusual struggle and resulting empowerment of Jonaki, a teenage girl residing on the bank of a tributary of Assam’s mighty, overflowing Brahmaputra river, a tributary that is missing a bridge. Shot in a real life flood in a community where survival has an animal-like agenda, the film graphically portrays the devastation but also highlights the invincible optimism of victims who have lost loved ones and homes to the calamity. These folks still love their river, and the community’s collective emotional response–battle with their surroundings, acceptance of Nature’s tune–is part of the film’s underlying theme. For Jonaki and her younger brother, even when hope deserts them they manage to find resilience and courage to start life afresh, trusting that the two of them can build a safe new world, even without a bridge as their main safeguard. The film won a Special Mention at the 2021 International Film Festival of India. This&nbsp;film&nbsp;is part of a special program&nbsp;entitled&nbsp;“Childhood on Edge”, curated by the&nbsp;legendary&nbsp;Uma&nbsp;da Cunha, who has been IFFLA’s Programming Advisor since the festival’s inception in 2002. The program features six films&nbsp;with diverse characters on the verge of the momentous transformation from childhood to adulthood.&nbsp; DIRECTOR<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/89a3220325250976e2888985975d599d.jpg" width="68" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Kripal Kalita is a film director who started his career in video production at Agnibristi. He has directed 12 short films and 15 television serials. He has earned several awards for his films including RED TO BLACK and MEGH THE CLOUD. Recently Kripal Kalita win a Special Mention Award at International Film Festival Of India. BRIDGE is his first feature film.

BRIDGE

Drawn from real life incidents, the story follows the unusual struggle and the accompanying empowerment of a teenage girl residing at the bank of a tributary of the mighty, overflowing Brahmaputra river in Assam.

Q&A - BRIDGE

A conversation with director Kripal Kalita (BRIDGE)

When a soothsayer predicts that Vanaja, the adolescent daughter of a poor fisherman, will become a great dancer one day, she takes a job with the local landlady, Rama Devi, in hopes of learning Kuchipudi dance and alleviating her father’s mounting debt. Rama Devi takes notice of the spirited young girl and begins to guide her in the art of music and dance. Vanaja excels in the arts, but a flirtation with Rama Devi’s son Shekhar, recently returned from the US, escalates into a struggle when Vanaja’s natural intellect causes Shekhar public humiliation. Shekhar’s wealth, power and caste give him an upper hand, but Vanaja’s tremendous strength and resilience is not to be underestimated. VANAJA, Rajnesh Domalpalli’s debut feature and thesis for Columbia University’s graduate film program in the mid-2000s, resists the draw of sentimentality to tell a genuine story of determination among the most marginalized segment of South Indian rural society. The mark of authenticity is due in large part to the gifted ensemble of nonprofessional actors that comprise the film’s cast. Marked kudos go to the dynamic Mamatha Bhukya who embodies the titular character’s winning combination of charm and fortitude. This&nbsp;film&nbsp;is part of a special program&nbsp;entitled&nbsp;“Childhood on Edge”, curated by the&nbsp;legendary&nbsp;Uma&nbsp;da Cunha, who has been IFFLA’s Programming Advisor since the festival’s inception in 2002. The program features six films&nbsp;with diverse characters on the verge of the momentous transformation from childhood to adulthood.&nbsp; DIRECTOR<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/3c169427c66b13256947a4a22f45c8ff.jpg" width="98" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Rajnesh Domalpalli comes from Hyderabad. VANAJA, his thesis film at Columbia University, opened at the 2006 Toronto Film Festival and went on to garner 34 International Awards including the Best First Feature at the 2007 Berlin Film Festival. Roger Ebert placed it in the Top 5 Foreign Films of 2007.

VANAJA

After seeing 14-year-old Vanaja’s prowess, the reigning local landlady decides to teach her the Kuchipudi dance. The initial chemistry between Vanaja and the landlady’s son turns ugly, pitching Vanaja into a battle of caste and hostility.

Q&A - VANAJA

A conversation with director Rajnesh Domalpalli (VANAJA)

A talented swimmer, teenage Kanya aspires to pursue competitive swimming professionally. Her world collapses, however, when she gets her first period. Her family demands that she adapt to social norms, meaning she must give up this manly sport and accept a more demure feminine role. The film looks at Kanya’s natural maturing along with her physical and psychological transformation, aspects utterly neglected by those who are meant to care for her. Will she muster the courage to revolt against the system that wishes to define her?&nbsp; KANYA highlights the line that separates the place of many women in Indian society based on the onset of their menstruation. Although young girls can be relatively free in their behaviour, the shutter comes down sharply on them as soon as they start to menstruate. This sudden clampdown on social behaviour is meant to indicate to society at large that the child is now a woman and, as such, open to marriage offers. The film captures the inner dissonance Kanya experiences at this juncture in her life with stark, arresting visuals and an intimate lens. This&nbsp;film&nbsp;is part of a special program&nbsp;entitled&nbsp;“Childhood on Edge”, curated by the&nbsp;legendary&nbsp;Uma&nbsp;da Cunha, who has been IFFLA’s Programming Advisor since the festival’s inception in 2002. The program features six films&nbsp;with diverse characters on the verge of the momentous transformation from childhood to adulthood.&nbsp; DIRECTOR<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/3434c945bdb7723fb91bfc129fdc4bb5.jpg" width="83" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Born and raised in Chennai, Apoorva was fascinated by the power of Tamil filmdom in state politics, igniting a passion for creating films that are socially and politically aware. In 2016, she was selected to attend the International Filmmaking Academy in Bologna, under the tutorship of award-winning directors Danis Tanovic and Claudia Llosa. Apoorva recently received her MFA degree from the Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts, Czech Republic. She is currently based in Prague, developing her debut feature film.

KANYA

An adolescent girl growing up in a traditional Tamil household aspires to become a competitive swimmer, but her life takes an unexpected turn when she gets her first period.

Constantly poked fun at by her classmates because of her unruly hair, Viru wants nothing more than the beautiful set of red ribbons her best friend Bhanu wears on her hair, something her own mother cannot afford. Even though Bhanu regularly prays for her in the temple, Viru is riddled with envy. When an unexpected red stain on her dress makes her the source of even greater ridicule, Viru’s desperation mounts. In India, children tend not to be educated about oncoming signs of adulthood, the repercussions taken for granted. This is especially problematic for a young girl, for whom the sudden tell-tale blood stains on her skirt can be immensely disturbing, interpreted as a sign of ill-health or, worse, bad luck. As a result, menstruation is a time of strain for many girls for whom the sudden displacement from the norms of their prior lives, as well as the abundant limitations imposed on their freedoms, wake them up to the reductive role bestowed upon them by society. RETTAI JADAI&nbsp;explores this time of turmoil for an adolescent girl with sensitivity and vivid color.&nbsp; This&nbsp;film&nbsp;is part of a special program&nbsp;entitled&nbsp;“Childhood on Edge”, curated by the&nbsp;legendary&nbsp;Uma&nbsp;da Cunha, who has been IFFLA’s Programming Advisor since the festival’s inception in 2002. The program features six films&nbsp;with diverse characters on the verge of the momentous transformation from childhood to adulthood.&nbsp; DIRECTORS<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/02fa84b13bd1532e066c31076526419b.jpg" width="71" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Franziska Schönenberger was born in Munich. She studied journalism and media sciences, as well as directing at the University of Television and Film, Munich. Jayakrishnan Subramanian was born in India. He studied art at the Madras University in Chennai, and graphic design at the National Institute of Design in Ahmedabad. He went on to obtain a masters in media art from the Bauhaus University in Weimar. They directed together the feature-length documentary AMMA AND APPA, which premiered at the Berlinale International Film Festival and toured more than 50 festivals worldwide.THE SHADOWS OF THE DESERT, their second feature documentary, photographed by Christopher Aoun, the two time Academy Award-nominated cinematographer, premiered in competition at DOKFEST Munich. At the moment their narrative debut feature film, BRIDE WITHOUT DOWRY, is in development.&nbsp;

RETTAI JADAI  (THE GIRL WITH THE RED RIBBONS)

Adolescent Viru envies her best friend Bhanu for the beautiful red ribbons she wears on her hair, something she cannot afford. But when an unexpected mishap makes her the source of ridicule at school, Viru will discover what true friendship is made of.

Avinash comes from a well-to-do household in a small town, whereas Bhushan lives with his single mother in a shed on its outskirts. Avinash’s skin tone is lighter, too. These class demarcations are evident, yet the two boys are best friends. As the film opens, the two boys are heading home from school, fervently discussing their favorite topic, soccer. Bhushan, as the better player of the two, gives Avinash some tips to improve his dribbling. All is fine in the world, until Avinash’s elder brother visits from the city with a gift–a fabulous pair of brand-new soccer shoes. It only takes a glance and Bhushan gets overwhelmed by an emotion that has so far been unfamiliar, a sense of envy that gets increasingly intolerable and which will ultimately threaten the boys’ friendship when the pair of shoes goes missing. Set within a lush Gujarat landscape RAMMAT-GAMMAT asks us to consider how class barriers socially condition our young ones to perpetuate existing power structures but, ultimately delivers a tender and potent message about the fortitude of children and the beauty of friendship. This&nbsp;film&nbsp;is part of a special program&nbsp;entitled&nbsp;“Childhood on Edge”, curated by the&nbsp;legendary&nbsp;Uma&nbsp;da Cunha, who has been IFFLA’s Programming Advisor since the festival’s inception in 2002. The program features six films&nbsp;with diverse characters on the verge of the momentous transformation from childhood to adulthood.&nbsp; DIRECTOR<img src="https://storage.googleapis.com/eventive-static/2fcb3323ec0a1acc2c1b830930161ae9.jpg" width="65" style="display: inline; float: left; margin: 0px 1em 1em 0px;">Ajitpal Singh is a self-taught filmmaker living in Mumbai. His debut feature as a writer-director FIRE IN THE MOUNTAINS had its world premiere at Sundance 2021 in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition. His short film, RAMMAT-GAMMAT, won Special Mention at Oberhausen. His first screenplay was part of Sundance Screenwriters Lab in 2012 where it won the Sundance Grant.

RAMMAT GAMMAT

Their different socioeconomic backgrounds have not stopped two school boys from being best buddies, but a brand new pair of soccer shoes will put their friendship to the test.

Q&A - CHILDHOOD ON EDGE SHORTS

A conversation with directors Franziska Schönenberger, Ajitpal Singh & Apoorva Satish

India

SPECIAL PROGRAM: CHILDHOOD ON EDGE - India Pass Only

Virtual Admission - India Pass Only

Donation to {{name}}

Donate

Gift Cards

These are all the passes tied to your account. Now, use our online schedule to reserve tickets. You can access your tickets via {{my_tickets_link|"My Tickets"}} or via the PDFs attached to each ticket order confirmation email. {{buy_pass_link|Looking to buy more passes?}}

These are all your purchased tickets. Open this page on your phone, and at the door tap the "Show Barcode" button and show your screen to the attendant. Prefer paper? Print the PDF attached to the order confirmation email, or click one of the gears below and select "Download tickets PDF". If purchasing multiple tickets, be sure to print or show each unique ticket barcode.

None available

Passes

Use this link to Buy Passes - https://www.indianfilmfestival.org/festival-info/passes-tickets/

The 19th edition of the festival the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) will be held virtually from May 20-27. The festival features a total of 40 films, including 21 shorts, 3 World, 8 North American, 5 U.S. and 17 Los Angeles premieres, spanning 17 languages, with 16 women directors.