Kabir Khan, Imtiaz Ali, Onir and Rima Das’ anthology movie ‘My Melbourne’ to open 2024 IFFM

New Delhi, Jul 31 (PTI) “My Melbourne”, an anthology featuring shorts by filmmakers Kabir Khan, Imtiaz Ali, Onir and Rima Das, will serve as the opening movie at the 15th Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM).

The 2024 edition of the film gala, to be held in Melbourne from August 15 to 25, will showcase a diverse range of films that celebrate the rich tapestry of Indian cinema, the organisers said in a statement.

“My Melbourne” is an Indo-Australian collaboration, supported by the Victorian government’s screen agency Vic Screen and Screen Australia.

Inspired by true incidents, the anthology movie is centered around the city of Melbourne with each short film exploring themes of race, gender, sexuality, and disability.

The shorts include “Emma” by Das, “Jules” by Ali, “Nandini” by Onir and “Setara” by Khan.

Das, whose film is based around the theme of disability, said she has tried to keep it “authentic and real”.

“We worked with a mix of senior actors and relatively new actors, including members of the deaf community. I am happy with the outcome and look forward to seeing how the audience receives the film. I hope it initiates dialogue about how we can be more inclusive in all walks of life, including art and welcome diverse perspectives and narratives especially from those living with disabilities,” she added.

Ali said he was moved by the story of two very different yet displaced women in Melbourne.

“To bring the film to life with the most bright and diverse group of young, local minds, turned out to be a huge learning experience for me. I could share my insights and test my ideas freely with the different creative voices that comprised the team and all of us came out richer from the wonderful ‘My Melbourne’ experience. Hope you like our piece – ‘Jules’ in My Melbourne,” he said.

Onir said “My Melbourne” is a film that celebrates what Melbourne stands for.

“(It is) a space that embraces diversity and celebrates inclusion. The film captures this essence through various migrant experiences,” he added.

Khan said his film explores the story of Setara, who escaped from Afghanistan to Melbourne.

“True stories portraying the triumph of the human spirit always have a special appeal for me. Setara’s unique escape from Afghanistan to Melbourne and her finding a sense of belonging through cricket made this a story I had to tell.

“Working with local emerging creatives and the wonderful girls’ cricket teams of Melbourne made this an even more authentic and wonderful experience,” he said.