I Am (film)
Encyclopedia
I Am is a 2010 Indian anthology film
by Onir
. It consists of four short films: "Omar", "Afia", "Abhimanyu", and "Megha". Each film shares the common theme of fear and each is also based on real life stories. The film was financed by donations from more than 400 different people around the world, many of whom donated through social networking sites like Facebook
. There are four stories but the characters are interwoven with each story. "Abhimanyu" is based on child abuse
, "Omar" on gay rights, "Megha" is about Kashmiri Pandit
s and "Afia" deals with sperm donation
. I Am was released with subtitles in all regions as six different languages are spoken in the film: Hindi, English, Kannada, Marathi
, Bengali
and Kashmiri
.
in her comeback, but after she pulled out Onir changed the main character to a male and turned it into a short film. The shorts were shot on location in Srinagar
("Megha"), Mumbai ("Omar"), Bangalore
("Abhimanyu") and Kolkata
("Afia"). The "Afia" segment was originally intended to explore corruption in NGOs, but Onir decided to focus on sperm donation instead. During location shooting in Srinagar for the "Megha" segment, the crew was attacked by rocks and received terror threats and had to shift to Karan Nagar. Onir returned later under the guise of a documentary filmmaker to capture additional footage.
and Facebook
, Onir offered backers co-production credit in the film and a share in the profits. People who donated more than Rs. 1 lakh became co-producers with a share in profits while those who contributed less than Rs. 1 lakh received a mention in the credits. People have sent their contributions from Vienna
, the USA, Nigeria
and Australia
.
I Am is the first mainstream Hindi film that is crowd-sourced
through social networking sites. Over 400 people from 45 cities across the world made this film happen by volunteering or contributing financially.
designed the film's costumes for free. Fashion designers like Manish Arora and Aki Narula
have made costumes available for free, while actors and his friends Juhi Chawla and Sanjay Suri, and director Anurag Kashyap have supported him with ideas. Juhi Chawla and Purab Kohli also financially contributed to the stories in the movie.
. It screened at several other film festivals like the International Film Festival of Kerala and the Vancouver International Film Festival
.
I Am was originally scheduled for theatrical release in India and Australia on April 22, 2011, but Onir changed it to April 29. To promote the release of the film, Onir has started a script writing contest where the authors of the 10 best scripts will win a meeting with him to pitch their screenplays. I Am will have a staggered release
internationally beginning in New Zealand
, and then moving to the US, Canada and Europe.
gave the film three and a half stars and named it "a motion picture of major significance" and "a landmark film". Rajeev Masand
praised I Am for "fine performances and its inherent honesty". Critics particularly praised Abhimanyu Singh and Nandita Das for their performances. On the other hand, Shilpa Jamkhandikar of Reuters
called I Am "painfully rehearsed" and "oversimplified".
The film has an aggregate rating of 6.5 stars out of 10 on Review Gang.
. The Times of India blamed the poor collections on the film's depiction of social issues, saying it was "restricted only to discerning audience".
, Rajiv Bhalla and Vivek Phillip with lyrics by Amitabh Verma and Amitabh Bhattacharya
.
, the Best Asian Film Award at the International Film Festival of Kerala, and the I-VIEW Film Festival's Engendered Award for Human Rights.
Official Selection
I Am has also been opening or a closing film for the following festivals
Anthology film
An anthology film is a feature film consisting of several different short films, often tied together by only a single theme, premise, or brief interlocking event . Sometimes each one is directed by a different director...
by Onir
Onir
Onir is an Indian film director, editor, writer and producer. He is best known for his film My Brother... Nikhil, one of the first mainstream Hindi films to deal with AIDS and same-sex relationships.-Life and career:...
. It consists of four short films: "Omar", "Afia", "Abhimanyu", and "Megha". Each film shares the common theme of fear and each is also based on real life stories. The film was financed by donations from more than 400 different people around the world, many of whom donated through social networking sites like Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
. There are four stories but the characters are interwoven with each story. "Abhimanyu" is based on child abuse
Child abuse
Child abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
, "Omar" on gay rights, "Megha" is about Kashmiri Pandit
Kashmiri Pandit
The Kashmiri Pandits are a Hindu Brahmin community originating from Kashmir, a mountainous region in South Asia.-Background:The Hindu caste system of the region was influenced by the influx of Buddhism from the time of Asoka, around the third century BCE, and a consequence of this was that the...
s and "Afia" deals with sperm donation
Sperm donation
Sperm donation is the provision by a man, , of his sperm, with the intention that it be used to impregnate a woman who is not usually the man's sexual partner, in order to produce a child....
. I Am was released with subtitles in all regions as six different languages are spoken in the film: Hindi, English, Kannada, Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
, Bengali
Bengali language
Bengali or Bangla is an eastern Indo-Aryan language. It is native to the region of eastern South Asia known as Bengal, which comprises present day Bangladesh, the Indian state of West Bengal, and parts of the Indian states of Tripura and Assam. It is written with the Bengali script...
and Kashmiri
Kashmiri language
Kashmiri is a language from the Dardic sub-group and it is spoken primarily in the Kashmir Valley, in Jammu and Kashmir. There are approximately 5,554,496 speakers in Jammu and Kashmir, according to the Census of 2001. Most of the 105,000 speakers or so in Pakistan are émigrés from the Kashmir...
.
Plot
- "Afia" - A single woman (Nandita DasNandita DasNandita Das is an award-winning Indian film actress and director. As an actress, she is known for her performances in Fire , Earth , Bawandar , Kannathil Muthamittal and Aamaar Bhuvan . As a director, she is known for her directorial debut Firaaq , which has won a number of national and...
) decides to become a mother using a sperm donor.
- "Megha" - Almost 20 years after leaving KashmirKashmirKashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
, Kashmiri PanditKashmiri PanditThe Kashmiri Pandits are a Hindu Brahmin community originating from Kashmir, a mountainous region in South Asia.-Background:The Hindu caste system of the region was influenced by the influx of Buddhism from the time of Asoka, around the third century BCE, and a consequence of this was that the...
Megha (Juhi ChawlaJuhi ChawlaJuhi Chawla is an Indian actress, film producer and television presenter.After being crowned as the winner of the Miss India beauty contest in 1984, Chawla pursued an acting career...
) returns home on a business trip to find her childhood MuslimMuslimA Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
friend Rubina (Manisha KoiralaManisha KoiralaManisha B. Koirala is a Nepali-Indian actress who works in Indian films, as well as a UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador and social activist. Koirala has primarily worked in Hindi cinema, though she has appeared in several Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films as well...
) has suffered too. "Megha" is inspired by Sanjay SuriSanjay SuriSanjay Suri is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films.He made his debut in 1999 with Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi. He went on to star in many supporting roles but finally got his big break with Jhankaar Beats in 2003, where audiences started to recognize him as a seasoned actor...
's experiences in KashmirKashmirKashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term Kashmir geographically denoted only the valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal mountain range...
.
- "Abhimanyu" - Abhimanyu (Sanjay SuriSanjay SuriSanjay Suri is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films.He made his debut in 1999 with Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi. He went on to star in many supporting roles but finally got his big break with Jhankaar Beats in 2003, where audiences started to recognize him as a seasoned actor...
), a successful director, is haunted by memories of sexual abuse as a child. He must deal with his dark memories even as he struggles with his sexual identity. "Abhimanyu" is based on the experiences of fashion designer Ganesh Nallari and gay rights activist Harish Iyer.
- "Omar" - When Jai, a homosexual man, (Rahul BoseRahul BoseRahul Bose is an Indian actor, screenwriter, director, social activist, and rugby union player.Bose has appeared in Hindi films such as Pyaar Ke Side Effects and Jhankaar Beats. Time magazine named him "the superstar of Indian arthouse cinema" for his work in parallel cinema films like English,...
) proposes to Omar, a male prostitute, (Arjun MathurArjun MathurArjun Mathur is a British Indian actor who has appeared in such Bollywood films as Luck by Chance and My Name Is Khan.-Early life and education:...
) he is left vulnerable to blackmail when Omar threatens to turn him in with the help of a policeman (Abhimanyu SinghAbhimanyu SinghAbhimanyu Singh is an Indian film actor who works mainly in Bollywood.He made his debut in films with Aks , directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. He got his first break with the role of Ransa Singh in Gulaal , directed by Anurag Kashyap. The role won him the 2010 Stardust Award for breakthrough...
) under Section 377 of the Indian Penal CodeSection 377 of the Indian Penal CodeChapter XVI, Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code is a piece of legislation in India introduced during British rule of India that criminalises sexual activity "against the order of nature." The section was read down to decriminalise same-sex behaviour among consenting adults in a historic...
. "Omar" is inspired by stories and research material provided by the online portal Gay Bombay.
Afia
- Nandita DasNandita DasNandita Das is an award-winning Indian film actress and director. As an actress, she is known for her performances in Fire , Earth , Bawandar , Kannathil Muthamittal and Aamaar Bhuvan . As a director, she is known for her directorial debut Firaaq , which has won a number of national and...
as Afia - Purab KohliPurab KohliPurab Kohli is an Indian model, VJ and actor.He started his career as an actor with the popular tv show Hip Hip Hurray and earned recognition through video jockeying on Channel V....
as Suraj - Anurag BasuAnurag BasuAnurag Basu is an Indian film director and writer, known for directing films that tackle the themes of dark passion and adultery like Life in a... Metro, Gangster and Murder. Basu was nominated in the Best Director category at the 53rd Filmfare Awards in 2008 for Life in a... Metro. He has also...
as Doctor Basu - Manav Kaul as Manav in a special appearance
Megha
- Juhi ChawlaJuhi ChawlaJuhi Chawla is an Indian actress, film producer and television presenter.After being crowned as the winner of the Miss India beauty contest in 1984, Chawla pursued an acting career...
as Megha - Manisha KoiralaManisha KoiralaManisha B. Koirala is a Nepali-Indian actress who works in Indian films, as well as a UNFPA Goodwill Ambassador and social activist. Koirala has primarily worked in Hindi cinema, though she has appeared in several Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films as well...
as Rubina - Rushad Rana in a special appearance
- Madhu Sagar as Ami (Rubina's mother)
- Behram Rana as Abu (Rubina's father)
- Faisal Burza as the lawyer
- Fayeem Shah as Rubina's cousin
- Mushtaq Kak as Beig Shab (shop keeper)
Abhimanyu
- Sanjay SuriSanjay SuriSanjay Suri is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films.He made his debut in 1999 with Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi. He went on to star in many supporting roles but finally got his big break with Jhankaar Beats in 2003, where audiences started to recognize him as a seasoned actor...
as Abhimanyu - Radhika ApteRadhika Apte-Early life:Apte was born on September 7, 1989 in Pune. She is an Economics graduate from Fergusson College, Pune. She is associated with Mohit Takalkar’s theatre troupe Aasakta in her hometown.-Career:...
as Natasha/Nats - Shernaz PatelShernaz PatelShernaz Patel is an Indian film and theatre actor, who works in Hindi and English films, most known for her roles in films like Black and Guzaarish and English language theatre in Mumbai. She made her theatre debut with The Diary Of Anne Frank in 1984...
as Asha (mother) - Anurag KashyapAnurag Kashyap (director)Anurag Singh Kashyap is an Indian film director and screenwriter. As a director, he is known for Black Friday , a controversial and award-winning Hindi film about the 1993 Bombay bombings, followed by No Smoking , Dev D and Gulaal...
as Vinay (step-father) - Pooja GandhiPooja GandhiPooja Gandhi , also known as Sanjana Gandhi, is an Indian actress predominantly working in the Kannada film industry.She went on to appear in commercially successful films like mungaru male, taj mahal, buddhivanta, thus establishing herself as a leading contemporary actress of kannada cinema.-Early...
as Aparna in a special appearance
Production
Onir first developed an idea for a short film while in Berlin, Germany. He later decided to make four shorts as he had too many ideas to fit into only one film. "Abhinmanyu" was originally written as a full-length film starring Karisma KapoorKarisma Kapoor
Karisma Kapoor , often informally referred to as Lolo, is an Indian actress who made her debut in 1991, and appears in Bollywood films. During her career, she has been part of many commercially and critically successful films, Raja Hindustani being the most notable of them, as it was her biggest...
in her comeback, but after she pulled out Onir changed the main character to a male and turned it into a short film. The shorts were shot on location in Srinagar
Srinagar
Srinagar is the summer seasonal capital of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated in Kashmir Valley and lies on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus. It is one of the largest cities in India not to have a Hindu majority. The city is famous for its gardens, lakes and houseboats...
("Megha"), Mumbai ("Omar"), Bangalore
Bangalore
Bengaluru , formerly called Bengaluru is the capital of the Indian state of Karnataka. Bangalore is nicknamed the Garden City and was once called a pensioner's paradise. Located on the Deccan Plateau in the south-eastern part of Karnataka, Bangalore is India's third most populous city and...
("Abhimanyu") and Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
("Afia"). The "Afia" segment was originally intended to explore corruption in NGOs, but Onir decided to focus on sperm donation instead. During location shooting in Srinagar for the "Megha" segment, the crew was attacked by rocks and received terror threats and had to shift to Karan Nagar. Onir returned later under the guise of a documentary filmmaker to capture additional footage.
Sponsorships through social media
Onir raised financing from not only the film's stars, but also from members of the general public from around the world. Using TwitterTwitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
and Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
, Onir offered backers co-production credit in the film and a share in the profits. People who donated more than Rs. 1 lakh became co-producers with a share in profits while those who contributed less than Rs. 1 lakh received a mention in the credits. People have sent their contributions from Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, the USA, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
I Am is the first mainstream Hindi film that is crowd-sourced
Crowdsourcing
Crowdsourcing is the act of sourcing tasks traditionally performed by specific individuals to a group of people or community through an open call....
through social networking sites. Over 400 people from 45 cities across the world made this film happen by volunteering or contributing financially.
Celebrity contribution
Many of the participants in the film worked for free; Juhi Chawla, Manisha Koirala and Anurag Kashyap did not draw salaries and Manish MalhotraManish Malhotra
Manish Malhotra is considered to be India's leading and most successful fashion designer.Manish Malhotra has designed for many leading actresses in Bollywood. He is known for his different style and his ability to envision a 'look' for the character. He is known for designing the costumes for...
designed the film's costumes for free. Fashion designers like Manish Arora and Aki Narula
Aki Narula
Aki Narula is an Indian fashion designer and costume designer and wardrobe stylist in Hindi films, who is most known for films like, Bunty Aur Babli , Jhoom Barabar Jhoom and Dostana...
have made costumes available for free, while actors and his friends Juhi Chawla and Sanjay Suri, and director Anurag Kashyap have supported him with ideas. Juhi Chawla and Purab Kohli also financially contributed to the stories in the movie.
Release
I Am had its world premiere at the I View Film Festival in New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It screened at several other film festivals like the International Film Festival of Kerala and the Vancouver International Film Festival
Vancouver International Film Festival
The Vancouver International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for two weeks in late September and early October...
.
I Am was originally scheduled for theatrical release in India and Australia on April 22, 2011, but Onir changed it to April 29. To promote the release of the film, Onir has started a script writing contest where the authors of the 10 best scripts will win a meeting with him to pitch their screenplays. I Am will have a staggered release
Simultaneous release
Simultaneous Release is the name given to an experimental new method of making movies available to consumers.Traditionally, movies are released first in cinemas. A DVD release follows some months later. Later still the movie is released through pay-per-view television; then premium cable networks;...
internationally beginning in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, and then moving to the US, Canada and Europe.
Critical response
I Am received mainly positive reviews from critics. The Times of India called it "an important and intelligent film" and The Film Street Journal named it "a must watch". Taran AdarshTaran Adarsh
Taran Adarsh is an Indian film critic, journalist, editor and film trade analyst. He is also a former producer and screenwriter. He is the son of film director and producer, B.K. Adarsh....
gave the film three and a half stars and named it "a motion picture of major significance" and "a landmark film". Rajeev Masand
Rajeev Masand
Rajeev Masand is an Indian film critic and entertainment reporter for CNN-IBN. Masand started his career as an entertainment correspondent at the young age of 16...
praised I Am for "fine performances and its inherent honesty". Critics particularly praised Abhimanyu Singh and Nandita Das for their performances. On the other hand, Shilpa Jamkhandikar of Reuters
Reuters
Reuters is a news agency headquartered in New York City. Until 2008 the Reuters news agency formed part of a British independent company, Reuters Group plc, which was also a provider of financial market data...
called I Am "painfully rehearsed" and "oversimplified".
The film has an aggregate rating of 6.5 stars out of 10 on Review Gang.
Box office
In its opening weekend I Am released on 67 screens in India and 7 in Australia, but failed to make an impact at the box office. It was fourth in overall weekend collections, ranking ahead of only ZokkomonZokkomon
Zokkomon is 2011 Bollywood action film, co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures, written and directed by Satyajit Bhatkal. Starring Darsheel Safary from Taare Zameen Par in the leading role, Zokkomon is Disney's fourth involvment in a production for the Indian market Zokkomon is 2011 Bollywood action...
. The Times of India blamed the poor collections on the film's depiction of social issues, saying it was "restricted only to discerning audience".
Soundtrack
The soundtrack for I Am was released on 8 April 2011 on Sony Music. The songs are composed by Amit TrivediAmit Trivedi
Amit Trivedi is an Indian film composer, musician, singer and lyricist, working in Bollywood. After working as a theater and jingle composer and composing for non-film albums, he debuted as a film composer in the 2008 Hindi film Aamir, and shot to fame in the Hindi film music scene with his...
, Rajiv Bhalla and Vivek Phillip with lyrics by Amitabh Verma and Amitabh Bhattacharya
Amitabh Bhattacharya
Amitabh Bhattacharya is an Indian lyricist and playback singer who works in Bollywood films. He shot to fame with the film Dev.D. The song "Emosanal Attyachar" from the movie was an instant hit. He has been continuously writing lyrics for a variety of Bollywood movies since then and has also sung a...
.
| # | Title | Singer(s) | Composer | Length |
| 1 | "Baangur" | Mame Khan Mame Khan Mame Khan is an Indian folk singer belonging to Manganiar community.-Early life:Mame Khan was born to Rana Khan, a folk singer in a small village named as Satto near by Jaisalmer. His father taught him singing and was a source of inspiration to Mame Khan... , Kavita Seth Kavita Seth Sufi Singer Kavita Seth is an Indian singer, who is most known as a playback singer in Hindi cinema, as well as a performer of Ghazals and Sufi music, and has formed her musical group, Karwaan Group, a band of Sufi musicians... |
Amit Trivedi | 4:32 |
| 2 | "Issi Baat Pe" | KK | Amit Trivedi | 4:23 |
| 3 | "Bhojhal Se" | KK | Rajiv Bhalla | 4:49 |
| 4 | "Aankhein" | Karthik Karthik (singer) Karthik is an Indian playback singer.Karthik started his professional singing career as a backing vocalist and has since been a playback singer in Tamil cinema while also single in other Indian languages for various composers... |
Vivek Phillip | 4:24 |
| 5 | "Saye Saye" | Rekha Bhardwaj Rekha Bhardwaj Rekha Bhardwaj is an Indian playback singer. She is the wife of famous Director-Producer-Music Composer Vishal Bharadwaj. She is known in the industry for her distinctive style of singing. She is also very good musician... , Mohan |
Amit Trivedi | 5:08 |
| 6 | "Wundoo Yeredoo" | Rajiv Bhalla | Rajiv Bhalla | 3:53 |
| 7 | "Bhojhal Se (Remix)" | KK | Rajiv Bhalla | 4:21 |
| 8 | "Issi Baat Pe (The Bombay Bounce Club Mix)" | KK | Amit Trivedi | 2:58 |
| 9 | "Baangur (Remix)" | Mame Khan Mame Khan Mame Khan is an Indian folk singer belonging to Manganiar community.-Early life:Mame Khan was born to Rana Khan, a folk singer in a small village named as Satto near by Jaisalmer. His father taught him singing and was a source of inspiration to Mame Khan... , Kavita Seth Kavita Seth Sufi Singer Kavita Seth is an Indian singer, who is most known as a playback singer in Hindi cinema, as well as a performer of Ghazals and Sufi music, and has formed her musical group, Karwaan Group, a band of Sufi musicians... |
Amit Trivedi | 4:24 |
Accolades
The scripts for "Abhimanyu" and "Omar" were nominated for Triangle Media Group (TMG) Global Awards. I Am also won the Audience Award at the 2010 River to River. Florence Indian Film FestivalRiver to River. Florence Indian Film Festival
River to River. Florence Indian Film Festival is an annual film festival in Florence, Italy that showcases independent and low-budget Indian films...
, the Best Asian Film Award at the International Film Festival of Kerala, and the I-VIEW Film Festival's Engendered Award for Human Rights.
- Triangle Media Group’s David Flint Honorary Award for Promoting Human Rights The Triangle Media Group, Biennial Global Awards felicitated Sanjay Suri and Onir for their upcoming film I Am. The award was for Media for Social Justice. Onir was in NottinghamNottinghamNottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
to receive the award from Lord Mayor of NottinghamLord Mayor of NottinghamThe Lord Mayor of Nottingham is a largely ceremonial role for the city of Nottingham, England. The position was historically Mayor of Nottingham; this was changed to Lord Mayor in 1928. The current Lord Mayor of Nottingham for 2010/2011 is Councillor Brian Grocock...
Jeannie Packer and Vernon CoakerVernon CoakerVernon Rodney Coaker is a British Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Gedling since 1997; Coaker was appointed Minister of State for Schools and Learners in June 2009, a post he held until Gordon Brown resigned as Prime Minister on 11 May 2010...
, MPMember of ParliamentA Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
Minister of StateMinister of StateMinister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
for Schools and Learners. - 2010 - NETPAC Award for the Best in Asian Cinema at the International Film Festival of Kerala
- 2010 - Special Mention by the International Jury at the International Film Festival of Kerala
- 2010 - The Engendered Award for Human Rights at the IView Film Festival
- 2010 - Audience Choice Award for Best Film at the River to River. Florence Indian Film FestivalRiver to River. Florence Indian Film FestivalRiver to River. Florence Indian Film Festival is an annual film festival in Florence, Italy that showcases independent and low-budget Indian films...
- 2010 - Sanjay Suri and Onir, Media for Social Justice Award at the Biennial Global Awards
- 2011 - Best Film Award at the London Asian Film Festival
- 2011 - Juhi Chawla, Best Actress Award at the London Asian Film Festival
- 2011 - Best Narrative Feature Film at the Kashish-Mumbai Queer Film FestivalMumbai Queer Film FestivalThe Kashish – Mumbai International Queer Film Festival is an annual LGBT event that has been held in Mumbai, India since the year 2010...
- 2011- OnirOnirOnir is an Indian film director, editor, writer and producer. He is best known for his film My Brother... Nikhil, one of the first mainstream Hindi films to deal with AIDS and same-sex relationships.-Life and career:...
, Best Director Award at Dainik Jagran Film Festival, New Delhi
Official Selection
- Winner of I-View 2010s Engendered Award for Outstanding Contribution (Opening Film)
- Vancouver International Film FestivalVancouver International Film FestivalThe Vancouver International Film Festival is an annual film festival held in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada for two weeks in late September and early October...
(Canadian Premiere) Oct. 2010 - International Film Festival of Kerala 2010 (In Competition)
- Hamburg QIFF 2010
- River to River Film FestivalRiver to River. Florence Indian Film FestivalRiver to River. Florence Indian Film Festival is an annual film festival in Florence, Italy that showcases independent and low-budget Indian films...
, Florence 2010 (Audience Choice Award, Best Film) - Chennai International Film Festival 2010
- Guggenheim Berlin 2010
- Kandy International Film Festival, Sri Lanka 2011
- Durban International Film FestivalDurban International Film FestivalThe Durban International Film Festival is an annual film festival that takes place in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. It is one of the oldest and largest film festival in Southern African and presents over 200 screenings celebrating the best in South African, African and...
2011 - Human Rights Film Festival, Syracuse, New York 2011
I Am has also been opening or a closing film for the following festivals
- Opening Film London Asian Film Festival, 2011
- Closing Film Australian Indian Film Festival, 2011
- Opening Film New Zealand Indian Film Festival, 2011
- Opening The Silk Screen Film Festival, Pittsburgh(US), 2011
- Closing Film Seattle South Asian Film Festival, 2011