Drishyam Films’ short-film Rammat Gammat to have its India Premiere at the 20th Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival in the International Competition in Half Ticket

After Killa, I am Kalam and Dhanak, Rammat Gammat is the ONLY INDIAN film selected in the largest and prestigious children’s film festival in the world, CINEKID, Amsterdam this year

Drishyam Films’ award-winning-short-film Rammat Gammat (My Best Friend Shoes)  to have its India Premiere at the prestigious 20^th Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival with Star in International Competition in children’s film category, Half Ticket.

Written and directed by Ajitpal Singh, the Gujarati-language-short is the ONLY INDIAN film among 12 international shorts competing in the children’s category, Half Ticket.

 

 

Rammat-Gammat is a moving tale of two young boys from different backgrounds who bond over soccer until a new pair of shoes strains their friendship. It’s a simple story of complex characters, which will spark a discussion about merit vs money, poor vs privileged, class and caste divide and the role of friendship in it.

The 18-minutes narrative short introduces two young newcomers from Gujarat, Shivam Math and Yash Patel,  who are excellent football players and have represented their cities at the state level and won awards. The film also features Swati Das (Hindi Medium, Bombay Talkies) in a significant role.

Rammat-Gammat had its World Premiere in the prestigious 64th edition of International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, Germany in May 2018where it won ‘Special Mention’ in international children’s film competition and North American Premiere at the Oscar Qualifying, 24th Palm Springs Short Fest in international competition.

 

The short is selected in 20 international film festivals so far including 32^nd Cinekid (Amsterdam), 36^th Carrousel International Du Film De Rimouski (Canada), Oulu International Children’s and Youth Film Festival (Finland), 5th Zero Plus International Film Festival (Siberia), El Gouna Film Festival, (Egypt), 9th Chicago South Asian Film Festival (USA) and DIFF (Dharamshala), Smile International Film Festival for Children and Youth, Delhi and 36^th International Young Audience Film Festival Ale Kino!.

 

Apart from the India Premiere in MAMI, the short film also known as My Best Friend’s Shoes in English is having its Dutch Premiere at 32nd Cinekid, (Amsterdam), Canada Premiere at 36^th Carrousel International Du Film De Rimouski, Russian Premiere at 5th Zero Plus International Film Festival (Siberia) in the month of October.

After Killa, I am Kalam and Dhanak, Rammat Gammat (My Best Friend Shoes) is the ONLY INDIAN film selected this year inCINEKID, Amsterdam, known as the largest children’s media festival in the world along with a market, attended by over 80,000 children, parents and the industry professionals. Cinekid had collaborated with NFDC Children’s Screenwriters’ Lab 2016.

Manish Mundra the founder of Drishyam Films says, “Rammat-Gammat is a sweet, moving tale of friendship which I hope will come as a breath of fresh air in these times of conflict. We are really happy that after travelling the world, it is coming home to MAMI.”

Excited about the India Premiere at MAMI this year, the writer-director Ajitpal Singh says, “It’s a great honour to be the only Indian film selected in International Competition for shorts in Half Ticket in MAMI. The film grapples with complex issues of prejudices and caste and class divide, it really asks some intricate questions about what is good and bad? MAMI will be exposing the children to such a multilayered narrative, and that makes me very happy.”

The producer and indie film publicist, Mauli Singh adds, “As a film buff, journalist and a publicist I have watched, covered and promoted some of the best Indian and international films at Mumbai Film Festival in the last one decade. All this while I have been nurturing a secret dream of having my own film at MAMI. So it is a dream come true to have the India Premiere of my first short film as a producer, Rammat-Gammat in MAMI in the international competition in Half Ticket”

She adds,  “We couldn’t have realized this dream without the support of Drishyam Films and Accord Equips and I am truly grateful to both of them for their unflinching faith in the film.”

The producer and founder of Accord Equips, Tejash Shah says, “While a festival film normally reminds one of a slow pace, this one perked my ears during the narration and had me riveted when I saw the film!”  Shah further adds, “In our digital age, this film is refreshingly set along the beautiful countryside of India. Though the film deals with kids, while viewing it, one realizes that the film is for all ages.  Emotions like anger and jealousy are timeless and ageless. Accord Equips is pleased to be a part of this film”

Rammat Gammat is produced by Drishyam Films, Tejash Shah (Accord Equips) and Mauli Singh and is shot in the Ghats of Wilson Hill, Gujarat.