Schedule & Tickets

From art-house classics to documentary films, and innovative and experimental visions to next-level Bollywood: 3rd i Films is committed to promoting diverse images of South Asians through independent film. Our 2013 festival will showcase over 20 films from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and USA. 

This year, we honor the strides made by women behind the lens, and examine gender revolutions across South Asia and the Diaspora. We shine a spotlight on stories from Pakistan and on the voices of South Asian youth. As always, Bay Area filmmakers find a prominent place on the program and documentaries dominate the lineup. See more at  http://www.thirdi.org/

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 6

7:15PM The Revolutionary Optimists

Maren Grainger-Monsen and Nicole Newnham (USA/India, 2013, 60mins) --- Filmmakers in Person!

Emmy-nominated Bay Area filmmakers Monsen-Grainger and Newnham capture the inspiring stories of young South Asians as trail-blazing agents of change. The doc follows Amlan Ganguly as he mentors three children towards transforming lives in the slums of Calcutta.

With short: Bhiwani Junction (Abhi Singh, India/USA, 2013, 18mins) about a young boy's dreams of becoming a boxer.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7

7:15PM Mohammed to Maya

Jeff Roy (USA, 2012, 54mins) --- Filmmakers in Person!

Journey across the gender lines with these two intimate docs that offer engaging accounts of the challenges and joys of the transformative process. The feature presentation follows one year in the life of Maya (formerly Mohammed), a Tamil Muslim, as she journeys to Singapore to have sexual reassignment surgery.

With short: Performing Girl (Crescent Diamond, USA, 2012, 25mins), a portrait of acclaimed Sri Lankan transgender performance artist D'Lo.

9:30PM These Birds Walk

Omar Mullick and Bassam Tariq (Pakistan/USA, 2013, 71mins)

A stellar piece of cinema verite, this lyrical portrait of youth and street-life in Karachi is imbued with the resilience of its subjects! Seen through the eyes of an ambulance driver and a runaway boy, the film is an ode to childhood and has been rightfully compared to Truffaut’s The 400 Blows. Produced by the Sundance Film Institute, this is one film that should not be missed!

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 8

7:15PM Peddlers

Vasan Bala (India, 2012, 116mins) --- Filmmaker in Person!

Representative of the new wave spawned by indie-guru Anurag Kashyap, this stylish thriller set in Mumbai had an explosive debut at Cannes’ Critics Week. The film tells the tale of two young drifters, caught in Mumbai’s seedy narcotics world, who are stalked by a rookie cop. Bala’s vision conjures up an unforgettably powerful and dramatic finale.

9:50PM Simple Superstar

Wilbur Sagunaraj (Canada, 2013, 94mins) ------  Filmmaker in Person!

Wilbur Sargunaraj, India’s first YouTube star, makes his feature debut! Witness the creative genius of this “champion for the common man,” as he takes on bullies in the street, counsels young lovers, and sings about the mouth-watering “Chicken 65!” Part autobiography, part road trip, and part instructional video, this wacky musical will have you laughing and cheering for the simple man from Southern India.

SUNDAY,  NOVEMBER 10

12:00PM Celluloid Man

Shivendra Singh Dungarpur (India, 2012, 164mins)

A celebration of 100 Years of Indian Cinema, and a must-see for cinephiles and Indian history enthusiasts! Featuring interviews with the veritable who’s who of the Indian film industry, Dungarpur creates a compelling portrait of P.K. Nair — the founder of the National Film Archive of India and a man with a passion for celluloid. 

3:15PM With You, Without You (Oba Nathuwa, Oba Ekka)

Prasanna Vithanage (Sri Lanka/India, 2012, 90mins) --- Filmmaker in Person!

When lonely pawnbroker Sarathsiri meets the enigmatic Selvi, he thinks he has finally found a way to escape his past. But a chance visit from an old friend forces the two lovers, from opposite sides of the civil war, to confront their histories and demons. With a tight script, wonderfully nuanced plot and haunting cinematography, this is Sri Lankan independent cinema at its best.

5:30PM Coast to Coast: Mumbai to the Mission

Various (Various, 2012/2013, 85mins) --- Filmmakers in Person!

From the forests of Ecuador and the seas of South Asia to a cafe in Cairo and a Sikh barber shop in California, this year’s selection of shorts spans vast distances — both literally and metaphorically — with films that examine both the natural and the cultural, by filmmakers both local and global.

7:30PM Alice Walker: Beauty in Truth

Pratibha Parmar (USA, 2013, 84mins) --- Filmmaker in Person!

A penetrating look at the life of author Alice Walker, who became the first black woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for her novel The Color Purple in 1983. Featuring intimate interviews with Walker, the doc focuses on Walker’s inspirational upbringing during years of violent social changes, and her political and social activism.