York filmmaker’s pride ahead of movie premiere

8:33am Wednesday 6th June 2007

BOLLYWOOD is coming to Yorkshire and bringing with it an array of glamour, talent and drama unrivalled in western cinema.

But the world of Bollywood is not the only hotbed of Indian cinematic talent - it can be found much closer to home than that.

While the stars celebrate India's equivalent of the Oscars, in Leeds on Saturday, an Indian filmmaker in York will be toasting his own film premiere.

Ujjal Ghosal, 31, of Grosvenor Terrace, Bootham, will watch his film's first screening at the National Media Museum, in Bradford tomorrow, at 6pm.

Ujjal described the project as hard work, but very rewarding.

He said: "It was a wonderful experience working with a team from diverse cultures, and understanding the rules of the industry from the experts.

He said: "There have been tense and intense moments, working to strict timelines. But we did it all together."

Its My Party is a five-minute film that tells the story of an elderly woman suffering from memory loss, and an opportunist thief, with a poignant ending guaranteed to draw a few tears.

The film was produced as part of a Global Stories project, which was set up to find emerging talent from unrepresented groups in the film, broadcast and digital media industries.

Overall, 14 people were selected and split into two groups, which worked together to produce the films.

Ujjal's role in the film was as sound recorder, but he is working towards eventually becoming a film producer and director.

Ujjal said he was inspired by Satyajit Ray.

"He is a great filmmaker in India," he said. "He makes stories based around the common people.

"He's brilliant. He just makes special stories."

An invited audience for the screening will include film industry insiders, including Coronation Street's Shobna Gulati, who plays Sunita Alahan.

Ujjal has previously produced and directed four short films, the last one being a piece on global warming, called Who Likes It Hot? He currently works as a business analyst.

The Bollywood Oscar' ceremony will be held at Headingley Carnegie Stadium, in Leeds, on Saturday.