Indian-American filmmaker Mira Nair is set to head the jury for the South Asia Competition section at the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2023, to be held in Mumbai from October 27 to November 5, the organisers have announced.
The South Asia Competition will lead the awards categories, screening 14 films from debut and second-time filmmakers from different parts of South Asia and Diaspora.
Commenting on her new role as Head of Jury for South Asia Competition, Mira said, “‘If we don't tell our own stories, no one else will’ (has been) my mantra for a long time, which is why I am honoured 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.”
“It is so important that MAMI recognises 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,” the Academy Award-nominated filmmaker added.
“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.
Mira Nair was the first woman to win Venice Film Festival’s prestigious Golden Lion for her film Monsoon Wedding (2001). She is also known for her groundbreaking films including Salaam Bombay! (1988) and Mississippi Masala (1991).
Her next film will be AMRI, an experimental portrait of Amrita Sher-Gil. Her latest projects involved directing Monsoon Wedding the Musical, which opened in New York City in May 2023 and is bound for Broadway.
Nair founded Salaam Baalak Trust for Indian street children in 1988 and the Maisha Film Lab in 2004, a free school to train filmmakers in Africa. In 2012, she was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India’s third-highest civilian honour.
