Bend It Like Beckham helmer Gurinder Chadha’s keenly anticipated comedy, It’s A Wonderful Afterlife, has been selected for a world premiere at the coveted Sundance Film Festival, which runs January 21-31, 2010, in Park City, Utah.
Produced by Indian Films and Bend It Films in association with Studio 18, IAWA stars the legendary Shabana Azmi, with a posse of well-known international talent; Goldy Notay, Sally Hawkins, the Tamil star of Heroes, Sendhil Ramamurthy, Sanjeev Bhaskar, Zoe Wanamaker and Jimi Mistri, among others.
Azmi plays the role of Mrs. Sethi, a hysterical North-Indian mother who is desperately searching for a son-in-law for her over-weight daughter.
Talking about the festival, Gurinder said: “I am delighted to premiere my film at Sundance having had such a long and happy relationship with the festival. Since it is the festival for independent filmmakers, I feel especially pleased because “It’s a Wonderful Afterlife” is a truly independent British-Indian co-production.”
Shot in London and billed as My Big Fat Greek Wedding meets Shaun Of The Dead, IAWA will be released in the UK by Icon on April 2, 2010 (Easter) and in India and Pakistan on April 16, 2010 by Studio 18.
The film has already attracted a host of top-of-the-line mainstream distributors like Icon (Australia), Prokino (Germany), Lusomundo (Portugal), Central Partnership (Russia & CIS), Sterkinekor (South Africa), TF1 (France), Front Row (Middle East) and Odeon (Greece & Cyprus), to name a few.