River to River Indian Film Festival Returns to Florence for 17th Edition

The 17th edition of the River to River Indian Film Festival will take place in Florence from December 7 to 12, 2017, and then in Milan at Spazio Oberdan from January 2 to 4, 2018. Founded in 2001 by Selvaggia Velo, the festival aims to bridge Indian and Italian cultures, showcasing quality Indian cinema—from Bollywood to independent and diaspora films. This year's program includes two Oscar-contending films: 'Newton' by Amit Masurkar (India's entry for Best Foreign Language Film) and 'My Pure Land' by Sarmad Masud (the first Urdu-language film submitted by the UK). Notable guests include director Onir, who will present his film 'Shab – The Night'; he is the first openly gay Bollywood director. Vaishali Sinha's documentary 'Ask the Sexpert' explores female emancipation through 93-year-old sex columnist Mahinder Vatsa. A focus on Gandhi and Indian independence includes a talk with pacifist Rocco Altieri and Sanskrit professor Fabrizia Baldissera. The closing night features Hansal Mehta presenting 'Omertà', a film about terrorist Omar Sheikh. The festival also introduces virtual reality experiences from December 8 to 12. A photography exhibition 'Instant Kharma' by Wolfgang Zurborn opens on December 7 at fsmgallery, capturing contradictions in Indian metropolises.