Sonali Joshi is the Founder and Director of Day For Night Film group.
She writes, “We are a London based independent film company working across the film exhibition, distribution and screen translation sectors, occupying a niche position within the UK film industry. We take some of the freshest and most distinctive independent films to wide and diverse audiences across the UK and further afield, with the promotion of cultural diversity and accessibility at the core of our philosophy. We work with film festivals, venues, filmmakers and audiences, with the central aim of enabling broader access to visual culture through distribution and curatorial projects.”
Sonali has over 18 years’ experience in film exhibition and education, distribution and screen translation in the UK as well as in France, Denmark and Asia. She holds a PhD in Cinema Studies (University of Glasgow) and an MA in Media and Communications (Goldsmiths, University of London).
Sonali first discovered cinema at the 1930s Tyneside Cinema in Newcastle, being taken to watch classic Indian films there at a young age. However, her real introduction to film came when she first saw a François Truffaut film as a teenager.
Sonali began her career working in the film programming department of Manchester’s Cornerhouse cinema. She then moved into film distribution, working on various high-profile releases for independent distributors in Paris. Following her time in Paris, Sonali went on to set up the foreign language subtitling department of a leading post-production house in London (IBF).
She established Day for Night in 2006, bringing together her interests and diverse background in film festivals, distribution and screen translation. Whilst based in London, Sonali has spent extended periods working abroad since then – returning to Paris, as well as in Copenhagen and various cities in Asia – drawing from a range of varied cultural experiences and working practices which have strongly informed Day for Night’s philosophy.
It’s not easy establishing a film company in the crowded market place right now, but Sonali persevered and works hard to keep things moving.
Sonali has worked extensively in creative curatorial management and production, having previously worked on the Viva Spanish Film Festival, Northern Lights Film Festival and Artistic Director of Pan-Asia Film Festival. She is currently Festival Director of Nordic Film Festival which just completed its 4th edition at the end of 2015.
Sonali is an experienced subtitler, something she has done in tandem with her work in film. She has over 15 years’ experience in managing multi-language audio-visual projects. She has done French to English and English English subtitling, as well as offering technical and linguistic consultancy to independent distributors, producers, filmmakers and arts venues.
Sonali regularly participates in international conferences on Cinema Studies, has given lectures on Film Festival Studies and Film Distribution at various UK universities.
She tells me she is often abroad but is proud of a current release she is arranging.
“I released an Indian film called "Court" in cinemas and online in the UK on 25 March. You may have heard about the film. It was India's official Oscar entry for Best Foreign Language Film this year and has been gathering awards at film festivals all over the world.”
The film is the debut feature by Chaitanya Tamhane. Since the film premiered at the Venice Film Festival, winning the Orizzonti Award for Best Feature Film and the Lion of the Future Award for Best Debut Film, COURT has gone on to win a further 26 awards at international film festivals and India’s National Film Award.
“COURT” follows the case of an ageing folk singer who is charged with inciting the suicide of a sewage worker through the allegedly seditious lyrics in his songs. With no evidence and few witnesses, the case unfolds in a lower Mumbai court, while the personal lives of the lawyers and the judge involved in the case are observed beyond the courtroom, presenting an acute reflection on the fabric of contemporary Indian society. “COURT” is the latest film to highlight the growing strength of Marathi cinema and indeed regional Indian cinema.
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“We are a London based independent film company occupying a niche position within the UK film industry.” Sonali Joshi
