Nimtoh, released internationally as Invitation, is a 2019 Indian Nepali-language drama film directed by debutante Saurav Rai and stars Pravesh Gurung.[1]

Nimtoh
Film poster
Directed bySaurav Rai
Produced bySanjay Gulati
Neeraj Panday
StarringPravesh Gurung
CinematographyAppu Prabhakar
Edited byJishnu Sen
Production
company
Crawling Angel Films
Release date
  • 20 October 2019 (2019-10-20) (Mumbai Film Festival)
Running time
85 minutes
CountryIndia
LanguageNepali

The film was part of the NFDC Film Bazaar Work In Progress Lab, 2018, where it won the Prasad DI and Moviebuff DCP Award. The film also got selected for the Hong Kong Asian Film Financing Forum, Work In Progress Lab, where it won the HAF Goes to Cannes Award.

Nimtoh had its international premiere at the Rotterdam International Film Festival, 2020 in the Bright Future Main Programme Section. It won the Grand Jury Prize for Screenwriting in the India Gold Section at the Jio MAMI International Film Festival, 2019. The film further travelled to NARA International Film Festival, 2020, Japan. Nimtoh was the closing film of the 33rd Images Festival, Toronto, Canada.

Cast

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  • Pravesh Gurung as Tashi
  • Chandra Dewan
  • Suni Rai
  • Teresa Rai
  • Digbijay Singh Rai

Production

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Many of Saurav Rai's family members play supporting roles in the film, which was shot in Rai's village near Darjeeling.[2] The film is about a theft that occurs during a wedding.[3]

Release

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The film was screened at Kazhcha-Niv Indie Film Fest 2019 and at the Cannes Film Festival 2019.[4][1][5] The film was also one of ten films selected to be part of the India Gold competition at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2019.[6]The Hollywood Reporter wrote that "Like the aesthetic choice to keep events offscreen, one has to wonder how such a heavy veil over the narrative advances the story, when a straightforward account would have deepened our understanding of the characters’ relationships and maybe offered emotional inroads into a tale that tends to be empathetic, yes, but also dry and distanced".[7]

Awards and nominations

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  • NFDC Film Bazaar 2018 - Prasad Labs DI Award and Moviebuff Appreciation Award - Won[1]
  • MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2019 - Jury Award for Screenwriting - Won[3][8][9]

References

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  1. ^ a b c Joshi, Namrata (26 April 2019). "Filmmaker Saurav Rai on his second outing at Cannes". The Hindu.
  2. ^ Ramnath, Nandini. "Darjeeling-set film 'Nimtoh' celebrates the extraordinary in an ordinary boy's life". Scroll.in.
  3. ^ a b Sahani, Alaka (23 January 2020). "Guilt Trip". Indian Express.
  4. ^ S, Harikumar J. (5 December 2019). "Kazhcha-Niv Indie Film Fest 2019 showcases 12 independent films from across the country, all for an entry fee of ₹1". The Hindu.
  5. ^ "A taste of India at Cannes 2019". 17 May 2019.
  6. ^ "The Discovery of India". 12 September 2019.
  7. ^ Young, Deborah (21 October 2019). "'Invitation' ('Nimtoh') Film Review | Mumbai 2019". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 20 June 2021.
  8. ^ "India's Film Bazaar Unveils International Co-Production Projects". The Hollywood Reporter.
  9. ^ Scroll Staff. "Mumbai Film Festival: Monkey chaser satire 'Eeb Allay Ooo!' wins the top award". Scroll.in.
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