Puneet Gulati is just one of the directors behind new anthology film, My Melbourne.

Mind Blowing Entertainment has announced that My Melbourne, a unique feature film interweaving four powerful stories exploring sexuality, gender, disability and race, has commenced shooting in Melbourne.

The film is the product of an exciting collaboration which sees four powerhouse directors from India’s thriving film industry – Kabir Khan, Onir, Rimas Das and Imtiaz Ali – paired with four new writing and directing teams from Melbourne. My Melbourne is produced by Mitu Bhowmick Lange and Leanne Tonkes and is being made with the support of Vic Screen and Screen Australia.

Each of the film’s four stories are inspired by true stories or lived experience and together create a portrait of life in multi-cultural Melbourne today. From the writing stage to the final cut the Indian directors and their professional teams are mentoring the local cast and crew and each of them will be in Melbourne for the shoots.

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The award-winning filmmaker ONIR whose directorial debut, My Brother Nikhil (2005), broke new ground in LGBT representation on the Indian silver screen, arrives in Melbourne this week.  Onir is mentoring Melbourne director/ writer William Duan and writer Gregory Francis on their film KANJEEVARAM.

Producer Mitu Bhowmick Lange said: “Our goal for My Melbourne is not only to create an entertaining feature film that is authentic, contemporary, honest and relevant but also to discover and nurture the next generation of underrepresented diverse filmmakers and their unique stories. Working with some of the most respected filmmakers in the world, our local creatives will learn from the best without compromising on their cultural and authentic narrative styles.

Since we are not restricted to one story, we have the opportunity to engage and showcase to a significant wider and broader audience of multicultural communities. telling authentic migrant stories with the support of four of the world’s finest filmmakers.”

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The four My Melbourne films are:

KANJEEVARAM
MENTOR DIRECTOR: ONIR
MENTEE DIRECTOR: WILLIAM DUAN
CONCEPT BY: GREGORY FRANCIS
SCREENPLAY BY: GREGORY FRANCIS AND WILLIAM DUAN
Synopsis: A story of grief and forgiveness, KANJEEVARAM follows the reunion of a queer Indian man, Raman and his father Prakash who arrives in Melbourne from India to complete the Asthi Visarjan ash spreading ceremony after the passing of his late wife Padma, Raman’s mother.

INTO THE SPOTLIGHT
MENTOR DIRECTOR: RIMA DAS
MENTEE DIRECTOR: SAMIRA COX
CONCEPT AND SCREENPLAY BY: SAMIRA COX
Synopsis As a young girl Emma was an aspiring dancer, despite having both hearing and vision difficulties until bullying made her give up her dream. Will a confrontation with one of her bullies lead to her rekindling her dreams?

SETARA
MENTOR DIRECTOR: KABIR KHAN
MENTEE DIRECOR: PUNEET GULATI
CONCEPT AND SCREENPLAY BY: MONIQUE NAIR AND NAZIFA AMIRI
Synopsis: Fifteen year old Setara joins a local cricket team as she attempts to rebuild her life in Melbourne after fleeing Taliban rule in Afghanistan with her mother and older sister.

ART OF THROWING PEBBLES
MENTOR DIRECTOR: IMTIAZ ALI
CONCEPT BY: MITU BHOWMICK LANGE
MENTEE DIRECTOR: TAMMY YANG
SCREENPLAY AND MENTEE DIRECTOR: SHIVANGI BHOWMICK
Synopsis: Sakshi is a 23-year-old newly married girl from a small town who has recently moved to Melbourne and Jules is a 52-year-old homeless wanderer with a flair for poetry.  Their worlds collide on the pavement of St Kilda with unexpected results.