My Dear Americans is one of 25 films selected to compete in the 2014 PBS Online Film Festival and the only South Asian short in the festival. Written and directed by Arpita Kumar, the short narrative film shares the story of a married couple in which the husband is overly excited about his new American identity, an identity the wife is more reluctant to embrace. On that most patriotic of holidays, July 4, the couple has a racist encounter in the suburbs where they make their home.
Kumar grew up in India and works as a filmmaker and professor in California. She was selected as one of 30 emerging filmmakers for Film Independent’s Project: Involve fellowship for 2012–2013 in Los Angeles. As a part of the fellowship, Arpita wrote and directed My Dear Americans. She is also working towards developing a feature length thriller set in an all girls school in Lucknow, India.
Watch My Dear Americans in its entirety and the rest of the selections at the PBS Online Film Festival and cast your vote through July 31.
http://vimeo.com/73404080
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