Indian American filmmaker Mira Nair has been appointed as the head of the jury for this year’s South Asia competition at the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, Deadline reports.
The festival will run from October 27 to November 5, featuring 14 films by debut and second-time filmmakers from various regions of South Asia and the Diaspora. According to DNA India, its mission is to promote independent and emerging filmmakers from South Asia.
Anupama Chopra, Festival Director at Jio MAMI, welcomed Mira Nair’s role as the head of the jury and praised her impactful work in global cinema.
“We are thrilled to welcome Mira Nair as the head of the jury – South Asia Competition. Mira is the OG Disruptor! She has created an indelible mark on global cinema with her outstanding work,” Anupama Chopra, Festival Director at Jio MAMI said in a statement, according to Deadline.
Nair is well-known for films like Salaam Bombay, which earned an Oscar nomination and the CaméraD’or at Cannes in 1988. Her filmography includes critically acclaimed titles such as Mississippi Masala, Hysterical Blindness and Monsoon Wedding, which held the record as the highest-grossing Indian film overseas for over a decade.
Nair’s directorial endeavors extend to The Namesake, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, and the web series A Suitable Boy. She recently adapted Monsoon Wedding into a musical that premiered on Broadway in New York City.
Mira Nair expressed her honor in leading the MAMI jury for the South Asia competition, with a focus on encouraging emerging filmmakers.
“If we don’t tell our own stories, no one else will. My mantra for a long time, which is why I am honored to preside over the MAMI jury for the South Asia competition this year. I look forward to being inspired and excited by new voices in cinema from close to home,” Nair said in a statement, according to Deadline.
“It is so important that MAMI recognizes the best first or early films because nothing can be more encouraging than one’s peers and gurus of cinema putting the wind in our sails! Winning the Caméra d’Or for my first film, Salaam Bombay!, opened horizons everywhere. Our MAMI jury looks forward to doing the same for young filmmakers today.”
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