Honour and Bollywood Downunder were both announced this week at a gala function held in Mumbai, India, as two brand new Australian films, as part of the launch of the 2018 Asia International Engagement Program, an initiative of The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA).
Honour is produced by Jannine Barnes and co-produced by Anuya Chauhan. Anupam Sharma will direct, while Joan Peters and Ritesh Kudecha will serve as Executive Producers. The film will delve into the issues of dowry deaths and domestic violence within the newly arrived Indian bride community in Australia. An app will accompany the film’s release in order to assist any female migrants new to Australia.
Bollywood Downunder will be produced by Deepti Sachdeva and directed by Anupam Sharma, looking to be a colourful ‘tongue-in-cheek’ musical depiction of Australia’s links with the world’s biggest film industry: Bollywood.
AACTA CEO Damian Trewhella commented on the event, stating “The Australian Academy’s Asia International Engagement Program not only showcases the skills and achievements of Asian and Australian filmmakers to new audiences, but is also developing meaningful pathways for collaborations between Australia and the Asian region. From a number of films slated for release that focus on cross-cultural storytelling to recent announcements of Asian investment in Australian films, we have been pleased to see an increasing trend of collaborations between Australia and many Asian regions, which our program aims to recognise and foster.”
Both films will be produced by Sydney’s Fox Studios based films and casting temple, known for its diversity both in front of and behind the camera.
Production on both Honour and Bollywood Downunder is set to take place later in 2018.
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