DESI2 returns to Canada

Following successful screenings in Washington, DC and San Diego, I Want To Be A Desi 2 received its Canadian premiere at the Vancouver Asian Film Festival on November 6 and will enter the new year screening at The ReFrame Peterborough International Film Festival on Saturday January 30, 2010. Q&A with director Allan Tong and co-producer and "Desi" Dinesh Sachdev willfollow.


Full schedule will soon be up at www.reframefilmfestival.ca

Casting Call for I Want To Be A Desi

Nov. 24: I'm casting South Asian actors for the Dec.6 shoot of I WANT TO BE A DESI, the comedy version of "DESI 2." This is an ACTRA TIP project (BravoFact), so all actors and background performers must belong to ACTRA:

SA FEMALE 1: background role: early-20s to play a virginal, naive Indian bachelorette.

SA FEMALE 2: actor role: early/mid 20s to play glamorous Bollywood bride who becomes a gold-digger.

SA MALE: 30s-up: actor role; business owner type who runs a "Desi School." Looks legit, but is really a little sneaky.

ASIAN/FILIPINO FEMALE: background role: 30s-up to play a nanny.

To apply: e-mail CV, headshot and agent details to tong.allan@gmail.com. Auditions scheduled. No calls, please.

Desi 2 at Vancouver Asian Film Fest

Following two screenings at San Diego Asian Film Festival and Washington's DC APA last month, I Want To Be A Desi 2 continues its festival tour with a screening at The Vancouver Asian Film Festival on Friday, Nov.6 in the Mighty Asians & Funny Canadians program.

DESI 2 plays San Diego

I WANT TO BE A DESI 2 continues its American festival run with not one, but *two* screenings at the San Diego Asian Film Festival in the American Dreams and Reflections program:

Friday, October 16 @ 4:00 pm (free screening)
Tuesday, October 27 @ 5:40 pm

@ The UltraStar Theater
7510 Hazard Center Drive, located off Friars Road at 163, San Diego, CA

Full details and ticketing info:
http://sdaff.bside.com/2009/films/americandreamsandreflections_sdaff2009

DESI Does Washington

I WANT TO BE A DESI 2 screens at the DC APA (Washington's Asian Pacific American Film Festival) on Monday, October 5 at 6:30 pm at the Canadian Embassy in the all-Canuck program, Twelve.

For tickets and more information go to http://www.apafilm.org/category/events/

Washington, San Diego & Vancouver want "Desi 2"

Washington's DC APA and Vancouver Asian film festivals join San Diego Asian in selecting I Want To Be A Desi 2 to screen in the autumn. This short documentary continues its hitting streak on the Asian film fest circuit, starting with the mid-July world premiere at New York's Asian American International Film Festival. Exact screening dates will soon be announced but the film's "tour" schedule looks something like this:

Editor Ngardy Conteh has just outputted a fresh master that will in turn be transferred to BetaSP tape that the festivals will play.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for another November screening perhaps, in of all places, Toronto.

Meanwhile, I'm busy prepping to shoot I Want To Be A Desi, the short comedy that inspired this "pre-sequel." Stay tuned...

(July 27/09) Hot on the heels of its world premiere, I WANT TO BE A DESI 2 has just been invited to screen at the San Diego Asian Film Festival in late-October. The screening will take place sometime between October 15-29 at this revered festival that celebrates film made by the Asian disapora.

Needless to say I'm excited and co-producer Dinesh Sachdev is thrilled (actually Dinesh is excited and I'm thrilled).

Stay tuned for details in the weeks to come...

I WANT TO BE A DESI 2 has world premiere at

Asian American International Film Festival
in Manhattan

(July 27/09) I Want To Be A Desi 2 had its world premiere at the 32nd AAIFF in lower Manhattan on Saturday, July 25. The short documentary was part of the shorts program about individual identity, "Here...look at me," that screened at the newly renovated MOCA (Museum of Chinese in America) at 215 Centre Street in New York's Chinatown.

The nearly sold-out screening at the new Museum of Chinese in America

Despite a sultry summer's day and the dinner-hour scheduling, a near-sell-out crowd came out to pack the screening room at MOCA where the paint was still drying. Myself, director Allan Tong, and co-producer Dinesh Sachdev attended. The films ranged from profiles of a Vancouver yo-yo champion to a Hiroshima survivor to a Japanese-American cowboy singer. The quality was high throughout and I was pleased to be part of this line-up.

The post-screening Q&A with several of the directors in the program.
I Want To Be A Desi 2 director, Allan Tong, is the third from the left, in black

I was part of a spirited group Q&A afterwards that included filmmakers of several other films on the bill. I was asked why I made IWTBAD2 and if there is a IWTBAD1. I explained that in a Lucas-esque way, I'm putting out the sequal before the original film, and that Desi 1 will be completed by the fall for Bravo TV. Dinesh received a hearty round of applause for his performance as the roti-lovin' Mr. Desi in the film.

Allan answering an audience question as director Irene Herrera
(You Can Call Me Nikkie) listens.

Overall, I had a fantastic time at AAIFF. I met other filmmakers and saw their fine work, and was treated well by AAIFF staff and volunteers. I enjoyed the screenings, workshops and receptions. The festival was all the more sweeter because it took place in the greatest city on earth in the middle of summer.

Director Allan Tong and co-producer/Mr. Desi, Dinesh Sachdev,
after the successful screening.

By coincidence the festival took place exactly one year after we commenced shooting at Toronto's Masala! Mehndi! Masti! South Asian Festival. (Thanks to Yasmine Gomez for taking the photos. Yasmine's music video, You Will Remember by the band Lumaya, also played at AAIFF.) I hope I can return 12 months from now to premiere I Want To Be A Desi.

Dinesh Sachdev (left) speaking to Dickson Chow (in glasses), director of
The Veiled Commodity which also played at AAIFF.

I WANT TO BE A DESI 2 to premiere at
New York's Asian American International Film Festival

I Want To Be A Desi 2 will have its world premiere at the AAIFF in Manhattan in the program "Here...look at me" at 6:45 PM on Saturday, July 25. The venue is the recently renovated MOCA (Museum of Chinese in America @ 211-215 Centre Street).

Full details & ticket info at: http://www.aaiff.org/2009/06/02/here-look-at-me/

NEWS FLASH: (June 2, 2009)

I WANT TO BE A DESI receives BRAVOFact funding

June 2: The short comedy film has received BRAVOFact funding. I WANT TO BE A DESI is the prequel to the short documentary, I WANT TO BE A DESI 2. Filming will commence in the summer of 2009. Stay tuned for further details...

NEWS FLASH: (April 20, 2009):
I WANT TO BE A DESI 2 has been selected to premiere at New York's Asian American Film Festival, taking place July 23-26 in Manhattan (www.asiancinevision.org). The filmmakers shall attend. Screening details will be announced in June.

Exclaim! magazine names SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE #1 Film of 2008


Canada's music magazine, Exclaim! has named Slumdog Millionaire the best film of 2008. The Indo-UK film, directed by Danny Boyle, is one of the favourites at the upcoming Academy Awards after capturing film award after award. Below is the capsule review while Exclaim's full list of the top five films of 2008 is available from their site.

Slumdog Millionaire
This Dickensian tale begins in the slums of Mumbai, India and spans 20 years. We witness the rise of a megalopolis and the maturity of orphan Jamal, who survives street life to grow into a decent young man. However, Jamal's older brother falls into the underworld, while Jamal searches for a beloved orphan girl. This harrowing fairytale is structured around the TV show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, with each question illustrating a specific point in Jamal's life. Dazzling visuals, electrifying bhangra rock and mesmerizing pacing perfectly complement the harrowing tales of these three slum dogs.
by Allan Tong

Lesson #8:
Making A Perfectly Circular Roti
Photos by Dinesh Sachdev ~ Recipe by Mrs. Sachdev ~ Layout by Allan Tong

Step 1:

Put flour into a large bowl. Make a well in the middle then pour a stream of water into the center.

Step 2:

Use one hand to mix the flour and water together in a rotating motion from the center of the bowl outwards

until the dough is moist enough to be gathered into a rough mass.

Step 3:

Wet hands and continue until the mixture cleans the sides of the bowl and has become a non-sticky, kneadable dough, feeling elastic and silky smooth.Test dough by pressing it lightly with your fingertip. If it springs back, the dough is ready to be rested. (Resting is the last step and allows the dough to absorb the water.)

Rest for 30 minutes in warm climates (e.g. India) and 1.5 hours in cold climates (e.g. Canada). Cover with a wet towel so the dough does not dry out.

Step 4:

Divide the dough into plum-size balls.

Step #5:

On a lightly floured surface, flatten one ball of dough with your hand.

Then, using a rolling-pin, roll out the dough into a thin, round patty about 5 inches in diameter.

Step 6:

Roll from the center, turning the patty several times to prevent sticking. Try to make the edges slightly thinner than the centre.

Step 7:

Preheat a cast-iron “tawa” over medium heat.

Place the rolled dough on the palm of one hand and flip it over onto the tawa.

When the colour changes on the top and bubbles appear, turn it over.

When both sides are done, use kitchen tongs (“chimta”) to remove the roti from the tawa.

Step 8:

To puff up rotis press them with a clean kitchen towel after the first flip of each side.

Step 9:

Serve hot, either completely dry or topped with a small amount of “ghee” or butter.

Step 10:

Eat it . . . just like mama made it.