Creativity is flourishing in the Indian film industry.

Young directors are confidently pushing the limits of
conventional movie making, looking for fresh angles from which they
can display their talents. Innovative dynamics and non-traditional
approaches to old ways have produced hybrid genres borrowing
elements from previously established categories.

The Cinema India! Showcase 2004 began last Saturday and runs
through Aug. 5th at the Mary Riepma Ross Media Arts Center,
features six films exploring intriguing aspects of Indian
culture.

Several heavyweight commercial successes headline the festival,
but the lesser-known ones are truly original. A variation of
“Sense and Sensibility” by Jane Austin and a melancholy
modification of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” provide
some cinematic familiarity to Americans.

However, an Indian blockbuster still showing in its 426th week
in a Mumbai theater and an electric film with influences from
Quentin Tarantino and MTV should peak enough curiosity to bring
plenty of viewers. To close the language gap, all the films have
English subtitles.

The tour for Cinema India! Showcase 2004 takes it through nine
cities across the nation from April through August 2004. Some stops
include Asia Society in New York, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston
and the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C.

For more information, visit www.theross.org.