Ali Fazal to judge short film category at Indian Film Festival of Melbourne

Ali Fazal

Ali Fazal will host the short film category at the 2018 edition of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) and the actor can't wait to see "some wonderful works". "I am thrilled to be a part of IFFM 2018. This will be my first time at the festival and I am honoured to be on the jury for the short film competition. It's great to know that we will get to see some wonderful work by talent from across India and filmmakers down under," Ali, who garnered praises for portraying Abdul opposite Dame Judi Dench's Queen Victoria in "Victoria and Abdul", said in a statement. IFFM, the southern hemisphere's annual celebration of Indian cinema, will take place from August 10 to August 22 under the unifying theme of 'Inclusion'.

This year's festival offers all Australians the opportunity to explore the richness and diversity of contemporary Indian cinema, from Bollywood box-office hits, documentaries and art-house premieres, to a Bollywood dance competition and master classes with key figures from the Indian film industry. The winning entry will be shown at screenings throughout the festival, and the winning filmmakers will be flown across the globe: the Australian winner to India, and the Indian winner to Australia. IFFM Director Mitu Bhowmick Lange is also thrilled to announce the 2018 BMW Short Film Competition that provides an invaluable platform for aspiring and emerging filmmakers to showcase their work.

"The theme of inclusion is the principal belief of our festival and we are very excited to explore it through our BMW Short Film Competition," said Lange. Past winners of the IFFM Short Film Competition have gone on to stellar careers, including 2013 winner Jehan Ratnatunga, currently working at YouTube in Los Angeles, and 2011 winner Varun Sharma, who has taken up a role at the leading Indian production company, Yash Raj Films.

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