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November 23, 2007 by Amrit Pal  Indian American filmmaker Mira Nair who produced movies such as Salaam Bombay, Mississippi Masala, Monsoon Wedding, Vanity Fair and The Namesake will be honored at the 17th annual Gotham Awards next month for her contributions to independent cinema. She will receive a Gotham Awards Tribute on November 27 at Brooklyn's Steiner Studios.
Salaam Bombay, which won several awards, is considered a classic which is often discussed in classrooms where young students are trained in the art of film making. It was nominated for Oscar in the foreign film category.
Besides making movies on themes which most commercial filmmakers shun, the citation notes, Nair founded in 2003 a film laboratory Maisha dedicated to support visionary screen writers and directors in East and South East Asia. Nair's company, Mirabai Films, is currently producing a series of four films to raise awareness about AIDS epidemic in India. Among her other successful movies are Mississippi Masala that profiles a family of Ugandan Indians living in the United States and 'Monsoon Wedding' which shows the chaotic Punjabi marriage. Her latest film The Namesake has also brought her honors.
Receiving the Tribute along with Nair is the Spanish actor Javier Bardem, who became first Spaniard to be nominated for Oscar for best actor for his portrayal of the Cuban poet and dissident Reinaldo Arenas in Before Night Falls,
Also, getting the award are film industry veterans Jonathan Sehring, President of IFC Entertainment; New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and film critic Roger Ebert for championing the cause of independent cinema. Bloomberg gets the award for making New York a growing film production centre and a world class centre for the creative community.
Along with Tributes, awards will also be presented for Best Feature Film, Best Documentary, Breakthrough Actor, Breakthrough Director, Best Ensemble Cast and Best Film Not Playing at a Theatre Near You. The nominations are expected to be announced sometime next week. The Gotham Awards recognize the work of independent filmmakers who work with small budgets but produce high quality movies. Content navigation Previous: Uttar Pradesh lifts ban on 'Aaja Nachle' after Yash Chopra apology
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