Mind Blowing Entertainment has today announced that My Melbourne, a unique anthology feature film interweaving four stories exploring sexuality, gender, race and disability, shot and situated in Melbourne, is coming to Australian cinemas on 6 March, and in India on 14 March.
Each of the film’s four narratives are inspired by true stories or lived experiences, and together create a portrait of life in modern multicultural Melbourne. From the early stages of writing to the final cut, four Indian directors and their professional teams mentored the local cast and crew, and were in Melbourne for each of the shoots.
It is the first Australian film to be distributed in India since 2016 – with the Brett Lee-starring film UnIndian.
‘It’s been almost ten [years] since an Australian film has released in India,’ said Producer Mitu Bhowmick Lange, ‘so we are absolutely delighted that the film will be screening in more than 22 locations across the country.’
My Melbourne will screen in more than 22 Australian cities and 70 locations in India.
Watch the trailer for My Melbourne:
To ensure the film represented an authentic migrant experience, My Melbourne features a number of diverse voices and talents, including Indian filmmakers Kabir Khan, Onir, Rimas Das, and Imtiaz Ali, who each worked with emerging Australia-based creatives from under-represented backgrounds.
‘Our goal for My Melbourne is not only to create an entertaining feature film that is authentic, contemporary, honest and relevant but also to discover and nurture the next generation of underrepresented diverse filmmakers and their unique stories,’ said Lange.
‘Working with some of the most respected filmmakers in the world, our local creatives have learnt from the best without compromising on their cultural and authentic narrative styles.
ScreenHub: My Melbourne: feature film shooting in Melbourne
The cast of My Melbourne includes acclaimed Australian actors Kat Stewart (Offspring) and Arka Das (Lion), cricket coach and player Brad Hodge, Hindi star Arushi Sharma, Nathan Borg (the first deaf actor to appear in Neighbours), and a number of new talents, like Afghanistan refugee and budding cricket star Setara Amiri. Each of them were chosen to play roles close to their own lived experiences.
The title track of My Melbourne is sung by Janaki Easwar (the youngest contestant on The Voice Australia), and Parvyn Kaur Singh, the former frontwoman of the cult band, The Bombay Royale. The second track, Azadi, has been sung in both Hindi and Dari by Aryana Sayeed, who is one of Afghanistan’s most loved and inspiring singers and activists, and has even been dubbed ‘the Taylor Swift of Afghanistan’.
My Melbourne: the stories
Each of these stories make up the anthology of the film My Melbourne.
NANDINI
Inspired by true events with the theme of gender
Bengali/English
DIRECTOR: ONIR
CO-DIRECTOR: WILLIAM DUAN
CONCEPT BY: GREGORY FRANCIS
SCREENPLAY BY: GREGORY FRANCIS AND WILLIAM DUAN
STARRING: ARKA DAS, JACKSON GALLAGER, MOULI GANGULY
Synopsis: A story of grief and forgiveness, KANJEEVARAM follows the reunion of a queer Indian man, Indraneel and his father Mihir after many years of estrangement. The pair are thrust together again when Mihir comes from India to complete the Asthi Visarjan ash spreading ceremony after the passing of his late wife, Indraneel’s mother.
JULES
Inspired by true events with the theme of gender
Hindi/English
DIRECTOR: IMTIAZ ALI
CO-DIRECTOR: TAMMY YANG
CONCEPT BY: MITU BHOWMICK LANGE AM
SCREENPLAY: ARIF ALI, SHIVANGI BHOWMICK AND MONIQUE NAIR
STARRING: ARUSHI SHARMA, KAT STEWART
Synopsis: Sakshi is a 23-year-old newly married woman who has recently moved to Melbourne Jules is a 52-year-old homeless wanderer with a sharp tongue, a survivor’s spirit and a flair for crossword puzzles and poetry. Their worlds collide on the pavement of St Kilda with unexpected results.
SETARA
Inspired by true events with the theme of race
Dari/English
DIRECTOR: KABIR KHAN
CO-DIRECOR: PUNEET GULATI
CONCEPT AND SCREENPLAY: MONIQUE NAIR AND NAZIFA AMIRI
STARRING: SETARA AMIRI, BRAD HODGE, SEPIDAH FALLAH
Synopsis: Fifteen year old Setara joins a local cricket team as she attempts to rebuild her life in Melbourne after fleeing Taliban rule in Afghanistan with her mother and older sister.
EMMA
Inspired by true events with the theme of disability
Auslan/English
DIRECTOR: RIMA DAS
CO-DIRECTOR: SAMIRA COX
CONCEPT AND SCREENPLAY : SAMIRA COX AND MONIQUE NAIR
STARRING: NATHAN BORG, RYNNA LAWSON, MIKHAELA EBONY
Synopsis: Emma is a talented deaf dancer in her early 20s with increasing doubts about her sense of self and her prospects of a career in professional dance. Since childhood, she has dreamed of being a dancer but industry discrimination and other attitudes are holding her back. Despite the support of her family and friends it is not until she meets Nathan, a highly successful deaf dancer who is at peace with himself that she retains her self belief.
My Melbourne is in cinemas from 6 March.
