Onir completes shooting for first film under 'My Melbourne' project

Filmmaker Onir has completed shooting on the first film under the 'My Melbourne' project, which is backed by the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM).

The untitled film, co-directed by Onir and Wiliam Duan, is one of the four movies to be shot under 'My Melbourne', an initiative that brings together four iconic filmmakers from India to mentor young filmmakers from Australia. All films will be shot in Melbourne and explore themes of diversity - race, disability, sexuality and gender.

The untitled film by Onir and Duan was shot in five days and stars Arka Das, Mouli Ganguli, and Jackson Gallagher, a press release stated.

Based on grief and forgiveness, the movie follows the reunion of a queer Indian man, Indraneel (Das) and his father, Mihir (Ganguli) after years of estrangement.

Onir, who is openly gay and an LGBTQ rights activist, said he is happy to be part of 'My Melbourne' as it is a unique film.

''It's the first time such a unique cross-country initiative has been taken to bridge cultural ties and bring the two communities together using the medium of cinema... ''My film tells one such story of an integral part of diversity, bringing forth a warm story of a father trying to rebond with his gay son. It was a great experience to work and collaborate with talent from Melbourne. I am glad that Film Victoria and Mitu Bhowmick Lange have taken this step to celebrate cinema and diversity,'' the National Award winner said in a statement.

Mitu Bhowmik Lange, director of the festival, said the ambitious 'My Melbourne' project celebrates diversity and inclusivity, the core values of IFFM.

''The key idea was to provide a platform to emerging creatives from diverse marginalised backgrounds from various walks and abilities of Australia, mentored by some of the world's best film makers. It's an anthology of four stories weaved into one feature film called My Melbourne based on authentic migrant experiences. We cannot be what we cannot see,'' Lange added.

Apart from Onir, other three films will be directed by Kabir Khan, Imtiaz Ali and Rima Das.

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