Ottawa: The submissions for the 2nd edition of the Ottawa Indian Film FestivalAwards (OIFFA) are now open. The deadline is February 28th, 2018. The Festival will take place from June 13th to 17th, 2018, in the heart of Ottawa.
OIFFA is the National Capital’s and Eastern Canada’s preeminent Festival dedicated to Indian cinema. In its 2nd year now, the event is dedicated to cultivating an audience for Indian cinema and culture in Ottawa.
It showcases Indian films, supports Indian filmmakers, recognizes various performers and business executives, and promotes the diverse perspectives of the Indian diaspora. The Festival serves as a platform for networking and promoting local talent along with foreign filmmakers, distributors and producers.
A five-day showcase of multi-genre Indian films, the Festival hosts a number of participating film-makers as well as roster of events, including red carpet premieres, workshops, a panel session and the celebrated OIFFA VIP Lounge with Indian music and dance.
In 2018, OIFFA is also launching two new activities: it’s 1st Bollywood Poster Competition for Youths and its 1st official Canadian Short Film Competition. Details on both of these competitions will be announced in the Spring.
OIFFA’s regular programming includes feature films, documentaries and short films. The Festival appoints a jury, which awards prizes to the best works. OIFFA is proud of its 2017 prize list, which saw director Deep Choudhury’s Alifa crowned Best Film and powerful political documentary An Insignificant Man win the Best Screenwriting Award for its two director-screenwriters, Khushboo Ranka and Vijay Shukla. The Best Director Award went to Nagesh Bhonsle for Nati Khel and the Best Acting Award was given to veteran actress Ratna Pathak for her nuanced performance in audience favourite Lipstick Under my Burkha.
Filmmakers interested in submitting their works for official selection should visit the website of the Festival at www.oiffa.com or write to films@oiffa.com, to request a Submission Form and the Festival’s
Terms & Conditions. These are the general eligibility requirements:
• OIFFA is open to films from India or by filmmakers of Indian descent worldwide. All formats and/or topics are welcome.
• OIFFA accepts submissions of the following: fiction and documentary, in both feature and short film formats (features = 60 min minimum; short films = 30 min maximum)
• Works must have been completed by May 1st, 2017 or later.
• Works must be subtitled in English (if the original language is not English).
• Selected films must NOT have had another screening in Canada before OIFFA 2018 and must NOT have been released in Canada (theatrical exhibition, DVD, television broadcast, streaming, etc.)
The Gala Award Night will take place on Sunday, June 17th, 2018, at the Infinity Convention Centre.
Our pictures: Flashback to the OIFFA Awards of 2017.