Mumbai, Oct 18 (IANS) Gujarati language short film "Rammat-Gammat" will have its India premiere at the 20th Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival in International Competition in childrens film category, Half Ticket.
Written and directed by Ajitpal Singh, the film which is also known as "My Best Friend Shoes" had its World Premiere in the prestigious 64th International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, Germany and North American Premiere at the Oscar Qualifying, 24th Palm Springs Short Fest.
Excited about the India premiere, Singh said in a statement: "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 multilayered narrative, and that makes me very happy."
The film introduces two young first-time actors and passionate football enthusiasts from Gujarat -- Shivam Math and Yash Patel -- and Swati Das, seen in "Hindi Medium" and "Bombay Talkies", in the lead roles.
A simple tale of friendship with complex characters, the 18-minute narrative is about two boys in rural Gujarat - a rich boy from upper caste and a poor boy from the lower caste - whose friendship is stretched to the breaking point when one of them is gifted a pair of golden yellow football studs.
"Rammat-Gammat" is produced by Manish Mundra of Drishyam Films, Tejash Shah of Accord Equips and Mauli Singh.
The Mumbai Film Festival, hosted by Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI), will take place from October 25 to November 1.
