It’s that time of the year again….. the New Jersey  Independent South Asian Cine Fest is underway this weekend at Rutgers University.  

Films this year are from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Canada, Ireland (whoo hoo!), Nepal, Pakistan, Scotland, Sri Lanka, Tibet, UK and US.

Many of the films will include Q & A afterward with the directors, actors.

UPDATE:   If you can make it there on what’s left of today, Sunday, go!  

It’s a lovely campus and building, great facilities, places on premise where you can eat and get a coffee, and the actors and directors are very accessible.  

I was there yesterday and spent some time with Prakash Raj, after seeing the stunning   Priyadarshan film he stars in, Kanchivaram.   Don’t think the Priyadarshan of  Chup Chup Ke, think of Priyan gone back to his roots.   The film is no light, frothy romp.   It’s heart-rending and beautiful.  

And if you’re more Northern-focussed in your fillum-watching and haven’t seen Prakash Raj in anything yet (he’s huge in the South, especially in Tamil movies), this would be a  great place to start, but you may have to wait for a bit, as the film will first release in India, hopefully in/by December, then we’ll see where it goes from there.  

But in the meantime, you can see Prakash Raj in Iruvar and Mozhi.