Annecy!

Well, sort of. Topi didn't make it into Annecy last year, but when it won Best Student Film at Animation Block Party in 2009, I was invited to create an environmentally-themed public service announcement for ABP 2010. This resulted in 'Switch Today', a stop-motion short that makes the case for using recycled toilet paper, and I was thrilled to learn that this 1-minute piece has just been selected by Annecy 2011 in the Educational, Scientific or Industrial Films category.



'Switch Today' was my first real attempt at stop-motion and was created entirely in my apartment, where I came face-to-face with the many challenges of dealing with gravity, glue and green screen.

Some behind-the-scenes images:

Pics from Great Wall of Oakland

I just got these images of Topi being projected onto the 100 ft x 100 ft Great Wall of Oakland in November as part of a group Pixar screening. The wall is a public venue located in downtown Oakland.






















They also screened my previous film, 'Abridged':

Shamiana Shorts

Shamiana Shorts has been exhibiting Topi as part of a traveling film festival that was recently in my hometown, Pune. The venue was down the street from my home so my parents were able to make it, which was great.

Topi has 100,000 hits on YouTube

I spent a long debating whether to put Topi online, but I'm glad I did. Despite a slow start, this week the film crossed 100,000 views, largely due to a viral response in India during September 2010. I'd never imagined that so many people would watch the film, and it's tremendously gratifying to have access to viewers' reactions, something that's not always possible at film festivals. One of my favorite comments was posted by mrvirenjn:

"This reminds me of what my grandfather once told me, when he had to migrate to India after partition.He actually missed the train he was supposed to be on.And people on that train were slaughtered before it could reach Amritsar.I could never have been born,and this video really made me feel for that boy when he lost his mother.Partition was terrible.This video just reminds us of the innate goodness in human beings.Of how it was and how it should have been."

In the stress of trying to finish the film and get it out there, it's easy to get lost in the intricacies of composition, animation, sound, festivals, etc and forget about the bigger picture. But hearing viewer responses such as the one above reminds me of why I chose to do this project, and why films that are actually about something are so vital.

Critics' Award at Jaipur International Film Festival

Just heard about the award - Topi was also selected to screen on opening night!

The real Bir

On a recent trip to India, I met up with Gurshish Dhupar, who voiced Bir in the film. It's the first time I had seen him since our recording sessions in December 2007. He's a lot taller now and his voice has changed quite a bit too :) but he is still a bright, confident, budding animator and is very interested in 3D stereoscopic filmmaking. I'm sure this is not his last acting gig either.

Screening Update

YES INDIA Film Festival, Auckland, New Zealand: October 28-November 3, 2010

ASIFA-Hollywood Student Film Festival, Long Beach, California: November 6, 2010

Boston Asian American Film Festival, Boston, Massachusetts: November 11-14, 2010

REELkids Film Festival, Ontario, Canada: January 17-20, 2011
Jaipur International Film Festival, Jaipur, India: January 27-30, 2011 (Topi was one of the films screened on opening night)

India International Film Festival of Tampa bay, Tampa, FL: February 18-20, 201