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Mitu Bhowmick Lange is currently the Director of Mind Blowing Films, a film production and distribution company that specialises in the distribution of Indian films throughout Australia and New Zealand. It also provides local production support to Indian films shot in Australia and New Zealand. She is also the Director of Mind Blowing World, an independent film distribution company that specialises in the distribution of quality local content to Australian and New Zealand audiences.
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In 2014, Mind Blowing Films won the prestigious 'Highest Grossing Foreign Language Film' award at the 69th Australian International Movie Convention for the film Dhoom 3, which took in $1.72 million at the box office. Mitu credits some of this success to the leading actor in the film industry, Aamir Khan. Mitu says, 'only three Indian films have crossed the $1 million mark in Australia, P.K, 3 Idiots and Dhoom: 3, and all the three star Aamir Khan. He is not just a movie star, he is a cultural icon'.
The Indian Film Festival – Bollywood and Beyond
Mitu Bhowmick Lange is the founder and festival director of the Indian Film Festival – Bollywood & Beyond. She launched the festival in 2010 to act as a cultural bridge between the Australian and Indian communities. Mitu Bhowmick Lange is also the Festival Director of the The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) which is the largest festival of its kind in Australia and currently the largest foreign festival in the southern hemisphere. The festival profile manifests the best cinema from India and the sub-continent, whilst providing a platform for aspiring filmmakers and dancers to showcase their talent. Presented by the State Government of Victoria, the festival is a key initiative to foster closer ties between India and Australia. Vidya Balan, the ambassador of IFFM, inaugurates the festival every year. The festival witnessed the likes of Sri Amitabh Bachchan who opened the festival in 2014. La Trobe University named a scholarship after him during the festival proceedings. The festival also holds the Guinness Record for the Largest Bollywood Dance class. The festival also conducts the Western Union Short Film Competition that promotes young talent and witnesses some amazing winners every year. During the film festival La Trobe University officially renamed its Agora Cinema as the Yash Raj Cinema for one year, it also launched a series of Indian film screenings that made the campus a focus for Melbourne’s Indian community. The renamed cinema was opened by the late director’s wife, Pamela Chopra. Yashji was a mentor and the biggest support system for the entire team.
The theme for IFFM 2016 was Female empowerment. The films curated for the festival were all based on the theme and every event ensured that the topic of Female Empowerment was incorporated into it. The festival continues to be a success, with rising audience numbers and significant cultural and community involvement from Melbourne and visitors from interstate and overseas. The 2016 festival drew over 30,000 attendees and showcased more than 50 films in over 17 languages.
In its 5th year of celebrating diversity and embracing everyone who loves films and culture, Indian Film Festival of Melbourne won the 2016 Melbourne Award under the category of Contribution to Multiculturalism by a Corporation. Mitu Bhowmick Lange adds that, winning the Melbourne Award has been one of the festival's proudest moments.
IFFM is the first Indian event to have won the Melbourne award. The other finalists in the category were Crown Melbourne and Melbourne Museum; both were lauded for their efforts in promoting Indigenous culture. The Melbourne Award honors a diverse range of contributions, focusing on individuals, community organizations and corporations who work tirelessly for the benefit of the city.
The festival is hosted by Mind Blowing Films, a production and distribution company that co-produced the award winning documentary, Raising the bar. The documentary premiered at IFFM 2016. The film festival has also started a charity initiative along with Latrobe University called the 'Educate the educator' program. It was started to improve the quality of special needs education in India and to promote inclusion at a school level, as practiced in Australia. IFFM Brand Ambassador, Vidya Balan, launched the initiative.
Background
Mitu Bhowmick Lange started her company Mind Blowing Films in 2009 when she first moved to Australia. The Indian Weekly notes that Mitu is responsible for connecting Indian and Australian cultures, and bringing the phenomenon of Bollywood film to Australian shores. Mitu has also produced Bollywood films such as Salaam Namaste, Main Aurr Mrs Khanna, Chak De India, and Koi Aap Sa,. She also produced Spice Girls of India, which was screened at the London Feminist Film Festival,. Mitu also worked in Bombay for 6 years directing several TV shows including entertainment, news and fashion magazine programs and a daily breakfast show for most of the leading channels including BBC World, Star Plus, Zee TV and Sony TV. Since living in Australia, Mitu has brought in and produced several Indian productions to Australia, including producing 13 episodes shot in Australia of India’s number 1 daily television serial Kahani Ghar Ghar Kii (similar to Neighbours), Bollywood film Koi Aap Saa and blockbusters like Salaam Namaste, Chak De India, Bachna Aye Haseeno, Main Aurr Mrs Khanna, Thoda Pyar Thoda Magic, Love Aaj kal and several leading television commercials with international cricketers made for the Indian market.
Other Work
Lange is the Australian and New Zealand curator for the International Film Festival of India. Established in 1952, IFFI is the oldest film festival in Asia and the largest in India. Mind Blowing Films also acts as a host to the Indian Cricket Team whenever they are in Melbourne.
Lange is also on the jury of the London Feminist Film Festival 2015