Shashwati Talukdar
Encyclopedia
Shashwati Talukdar, is an India-born, academic-filmmaker based in New York City
, with more than twelve films and videos to her name, and who has become well-known on the international film-making stage, particularly for her documentaries on cultural identity and representation.
Her work has appeared at the Margaret Mead Film Festival
, Mediopolis-Berlin, the Whitney Biennial
, Kiasma
Museum of Art in Helsinki and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia
. and has gained the support of Jerome Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts
and Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
. In 2002, Talukdar received the James T. Yee Mentorship Award from the Center for Asian American Media
, and, then, in 2003, she received the Project Involve Fellowship from IFP
/New York.
, Uttaranchal, India
. She attended Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University, and Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi
, where she obtained a graduate degee in Mass Communication. She also attended Temple University
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
, for a Masters of Fine Arts in film and media arts. Since then, she has taught at NYU, Arcadia University
and Temple University
.
’s television show, Michael Moore Live
. Since then, she has worked on other projects for BBC
as well as for HBO, Lifetime, Sundance
and Cablevision. She runs the production company “Four Nine and Half Pictures,” named because Talukdar herself is less than five feet tall. Additionally, she maintains Shashwati’s Blog, which she uses to communicate with fans and other bloggers about various topics, including films, culture and social justice issues.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, with more than twelve films and videos to her name, and who has become well-known on the international film-making stage, particularly for her documentaries on cultural identity and representation.
Her work has appeared at the Margaret Mead Film Festival
Margaret Mead Film Festival
The Margaret Mead Film Festival is an annual film festival held at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. It is the longest-running, premiere showcase for international documentaries in the United States, encompassing a broad spectrum of work, from indigenous community media to...
, Mediopolis-Berlin, the Whitney Biennial
Whitney Biennial
The Whitney Biennial is a biennale exhibition of contemporary American art, typically by young and lesser known artists, on display at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City, USA. The event began as an annual exhibition in 1932, the first biennial was in 1973...
, Kiasma
Kiasma
Kiasma is a contemporary art museum located on Mannerheimintie in Helsinki, Finland. Its name kiasma, Finnish for chiasma, alludes to the basic conceptual idea of its architect, Steven Holl. The museum exhibits the contemporary art collection of the Finnish National Gallery founded in 1990...
Museum of Art in Helsinki and the Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia
Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia
The Institute of Contemporary Art or ICA is a contemporary art museum located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. The museum is associated with the University of Pennsylvania, and is located on its campus. The Institute is one of the country's leading museums dedicated to exhibiting the innovative...
. and has gained the support of Jerome Foundation, New York State Council on the Arts
New York State Council on the Arts
The New York State Council on the Arts is an arts council serving the U.S. state of New York. It was established in 1960 through a bill introduced in the New York State Legislature by New York State Senator MacNeil Mitchell , with backing from Governor Nelson Rockefeller, and began its work in 1961...
and Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
Pennsylvania Council on the Arts
The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts is an agency serving the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.Established in 1966, its mission is "to foster the excellence, diversity and vitality of the arts in Pennsylvania and to broaden the availability and appreciation of those arts throughout the state." Each year...
. In 2002, Talukdar received the James T. Yee Mentorship Award from the Center for Asian American Media
Center for Asian American Media
The Center for Asian American Media was founded in 1980. The San Francisco-based organization, formerly known the National Asian American Telecommunications Association , has grown into the largest organization dedicated to the advancement of Asian Americans in independent media, specifically the...
, and, then, in 2003, she received the Project Involve Fellowship from IFP
IFP
IFP can stand for:* International Federation of Poker* Interwise Food Portal* Independent Feature Project* "The Illinois Functional Programming Interpreter", A.D. Robison, Proc 1987 SIGPLAN Conf on Interpreters and Interpretive Techniques , pp...
/New York.
Early life
Talukdar was born in DehradunDehradun
- Geography :The Dehradun district has various types of physical geography from Himalayan mountains to Plains. Raiwala is the lowest point at 315 meters above sea level, and the highest points are within the Tiuni hills, rising to 3700 m above sea level...
, Uttaranchal, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. She attended Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University, and Jamia Millia Islamia University in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, where she obtained a graduate degee in Mass Communication. She also attended Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, for a Masters of Fine Arts in film and media arts. Since then, she has taught at NYU, Arcadia University
Arcadia University
Arcadia University is a private university located in Glenside, Pennsylvania, on the outskirts of Philadelphia. A master's university by Carnegie Classification, the university has a co-educational student population of more than 4,000. The university was ranked 25th in the master's universities in...
and Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
.
Career
She began her career in 1999 as an assistant editor for BBCBBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
’s television show, Michael Moore Live
Michael Moore Live
Michael Moore Live, a 1999 television show featuring political advocate Michael Moore, ran for one six-part series. It was shown on Channel 4 and aired in the UK only, though it was broadcast from New York....
. Since then, she has worked on other projects for BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
as well as for HBO, Lifetime, Sundance
Sundance
Sundance Resort is a ski resort located northeast of Provo, Utah, spanning over on the slopes of Mount Timpanogos in Utah's Wasatch Range. Snow skiing began on the site in 1944...
and Cablevision. She runs the production company “Four Nine and Half Pictures,” named because Talukdar herself is less than five feet tall. Additionally, she maintains Shashwati’s Blog, which she uses to communicate with fans and other bloggers about various topics, including films, culture and social justice issues.
Filmography
- Any Number You Want
- Eunuch Alley
- Geometry Lover
- Mahasweta Devi
- My Life as a PosterMy Life as a PosterMy Life as a Poster by Indian filmmaker Shashwati Talukdar is a mockumentary of a stereotypical, tragic foreign teen’s story about moving to a strange, new land. An Indian girl and her parents move to the United States after the mysterious death of her sister. The girl struggles to fit into her...
- RetroAction
- Unable to(Re)member Roop Kanwar
- Rumination and Advice from Dr. Abbey
- Snake-Byte
- Tahini and Tears
- Hooch and Hamlet in Chharanagar
- Bollywood Terror