Rehan’s ‘Didi’ goes to Ontario
Adding to the round of international film festivals, Rehan Mudannayake’s short film ‘DIDI’ has been selected for the 2020 Canadian Screen Award-qualifying Mosaic International South Asian Film Festival (MISAFF) in Ontario. The film will have its international premiere at the festival starting from December 4 and it will feature fiction, documentaries and shorts from around the world.
MISAFF marks DIDI’s third international festival selection, after the 2020 Academy Award-qualifying Holly shorts Film Festival – where it had its World Premiere. The British film makde a Sri Lankan will also feature at the Louisville’s International Festival of Film at Louisville in Kentucky.
MISAFF is Canada’s premier South Asian Film Festival and has a history of presenting award-winning and critically acclaimed titles. This year’s stellar line up also includes Karishma Dube’s gripping Student Academy Award-winner Bittu.
Held for the 8th year, the festival will be going online due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “MISAFF takes the liberty of showcasing courageous and ground-breaking films. We welcome audiences from Mississauga and the GTA, and while it is a South Asian film festival, the stories and movies are for everyone irrespective of ethnicity or background.” said Festival Director Arshad Khan.
“We are showcasing films that address the human condition but also relate to our lives in so many epic ways. MISAFF is the only film festival in Mississauga and it has built a reputation to showcase the best cinema South Asian filmmakers have on offer from around the world. We stand apart because as filmmakers ourselves we understand the needs of other film professionals. That is why we include opportunities for emerging filmmakers and talent to network with other industry professionals.”
“MISAFF creates community, connects audiences and celebrates the power of cinema to transform us as it continues to evolve here in Canada and around the world. MISAFF fills a cultural void and unites us in the face of growing inequity and dissonance.” Anya Mckenzie, Festival Advisory Board member.
An award-winning film director and actor, Rehan’s films have screened at multiple international festivals, from Jakarta to Dhaka, from LA to London. His latest short DIDI is competing at the 2020 Academy Award-Qualifying Holly Shorts Film Festival, as a part of the Official Selection. The festival held from November 9 to 22, ‘Didi’ has been selected – from over 6,000 submissions. Devoted to showcasing the best and brightest short films from around the globe, advancing the careers of filmmakers through screenings, networking events, and various panel and forums, the HollyShorts Film festival showcases the top short films produced 40- minutes or less. Categories in the festival include Short Animation, Short Live Action, Short Documentary, Music Video, Webisode, Commercials, Youth Film and Digital Microbudget.
Revolving around a young, British Indian woman who is faced with a momentous decision when re-united with her long-lost sister, the film is part of a film project commissioned by the film Society of University College of London (UCL) where Rehan was reading for his degree in cinema.
The young filmmaker joined with RadhikaJani who had a powerful script in her hand.
Studied cinema for both graduate and Masters degrees in London, Rehan says that filmmaking is his passion which he would do for the rest of his life. Since coming back from London in January, Rehan has been devoting his time for film projects including, short films and documentaries that were created as corporate projects.
“I want to make few more short films and then move on to a feature,” says Rehan speaking about long-term plan in cinema.
Asked about the challenges faced by cinema specially with the ongoing pandemic Rehan is positive and says that the cinema would change its platforms in future. “Lot of it will shift online even though cinemas area shutting down. A lot of streaming platform will become even bigger and more significant in this era of Covid,”.
Rehan plays the role of Shehan Soyza in Oscar-nominated director Deepa Mehta’s upcoming feature film ‘Funny Boy’, made based on Shyam Selvadurai’s acclaimed novel under the same title. The film has been picked up by Ava Du Vernay’s ARRAY Releasing and will land on Netflix next month. İt is also Canada’s official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 2021 Academy Awards.
His previous short – The Red Mustang – had its World Premiere in competition at the 2018 Montreal World Film Festival and its International Premiere at the 2018 TASVEER South Asian Film Festival in Seattle, the largest showcase of South Asian cinema in the States.