Private Project

Habaneros

How important a role does tolerance, acceptance and patience play for a woman of substance looking for romance in today's political and social climate?
Habaneros will give you some answers, or maybe leave you with a few questions of your own!

  • Sri Mirajkar
    Director
    Evil Stepmothers, Partu, Cocktail Diaries Web Series, Five O'Clock Shadow
  • Vijaykumar Mirchandani
    Executive Producer
    They are No Less, Where The Streets Have No Name, The Process
  • Sri Mirajkar
    Writer
  • Sri Mirajkar
    Producer
  • Nalini Mirajkar
    Key Cast
    "Juhi"
  • Alex Berezin
    Key Cast
    "TJ"
  • Arlyne Spella Benson
    Key Cast
    "Erin"
  • Vijaykumar Mirchandani
    Creative Director
    They Are No Less, Where The Streets Have No Name
  • Project Type:
    Short, Television
  • Genres:
    Drama, Romance, Political, Women, Women Empowerment, Asian, First Time Filmmaker
  • Runtime:
    14 minutes 8 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 1, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    2,500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    HD
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Beyond Earth Film Festival
    Chennai
    India
    December 17, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Mumbai Shorts International Film Festival
    Mumbai
    India
    December 8, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Clifton Film Celebration
    Clifton, Virginia
    United States
    November 8, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Arlington International Film Festival
    Arlington, Boston
    United States
    November 7, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Global Frames International Short Film Festival
    Mumbai
    India
    September 19, 2019
    Official Selection
  • India International Film Festival of Boston
    Boston
    United States
    September 13, 2019
    Winner - Best Comedy
  • Best Global Shorts
    Chennai
    India
    September 8, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Franklin International Indie Film Festival
    Franklin Tennesse
    United States
    August 14, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Kolkata Shorts International Film Festival
    Kolkata
    India
    July 21, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Social Political Short Film Festival
    Missoula, Montana
    United States
    June 4, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Dumbo Film Festival
    New York
    United States
    May 1, 2019
    Official Selection
  • Seven Cities Short Film Showcase
    Virginia Beach, Virginia
    United States
    April 19, 2019
    Semi Finalist
  • Worldfest-Houston International Film & Video Festival
    Houston, Texas
    United States
    Bronze REMI Winner
  • Queens World Film Festival
    Queens, New York
    United States
    March 30, 2019
    Official Selection
  • California Film Awards
    San Diego, CA
    United States
    January 9, 2019
    Diamond Award (Television Production)
  • World Music & Independent Film Festival
    Jeffersonton, Virginia
    United States
    January 11, 2019
    Best Actress
  • India Global Short Film Festival
    Chennai
    India
    December 9, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Moonwhite Films International Filmfest
    Mumbai
    India
    November 24, 2018
    Nominee - Best Film / Best Director
  • 7th Delhi International Film Festival
    Delhi
    India
    October 15, 2018
    India Premiere
    Official Selection
  • Goa Short Film Festival
    Goa
    India
    October 27, 2018
    Official Selection
  • Chicago South Asian Film Festival
    Chicago
    United States
    September 20, 2018
    Official Selection
  • DC South Asian Film Festival
    Washington DC
    United States
    September 7, 2018
    North America Premiere
    Official Selection
Director Biography - Sri Mirajkar

Sri Mirajkar makes his directorial debut with the short film, Habaneros. He is a seasoned actor with a passion for theater and film-making.

Sri has acted in several lead and supporting roles on stage, in film, and on television over the past 25yrs. He has also been awarded the Best Actor at the World Music and International Film Festival, 2018. Recently he played the lead role in the real-life TV crime serial, Evil Stepmothers, airing on Investigation Discovery Channel (Season3:Episode3). He has acted in the Bollywood feature film, Partu, which was released in Mumbai and US.

Sri can be found on IMDB as Sri Mirajkar;
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0591997/

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

In the 30+ years that I have lived in the United States, I have never thought it important enough or felt strongly enough about any event that has warranted protest in the past. The Women’s March on Washington on January 21st, 2017 was an event that triggered feelings of insecurity, belonging, and strong concern for the direction our future was taking in me. I felt compelled to participate in this landmark event.

I was in awe at witnessing a sea of men, women, children, senior citizens, LGBTQ groups, African Americans, Latino’s and a large majority of Caucasian women who converged on our nation’s capital to protest results of the 2016 election. Over 500,000 people participated. Women across the world have protested this election to express their anger and disappointment.

The story of Habaneros started to take shape in my mind on that eventful morning and inspired me to pen it down. I decided to use film as a medium to give voice to the sentiments of thousands of independent, strong and brave women who used pink “pussy hats”, placards, slogans, images, chants and every other form of visual aid to express their dissent.

I took a leap of faith and switched gears from being in front of the lens to getting behind the camera as a storyteller. With the help of my friends and a passionate crew from DC Storytellers, Habaneros was born.

With in-kind support, deferred payments and self-funding, this low/no budget short film is my directorial debut and I feel proud to have made a statement through my story. Wanting to take it to the next level, I teamed up with Vijaykumar Mirchandani an award winning Executive Producer, and it has already made inroads within the festival circuit. It has been screened in DC South Asian Film Festival, Chicago South Asian Film festival and very soon it will be screened at many other locations Internationally.

I am extremely happy that it has touched a cord with film lovers and I look forward to creating more awareness.

A big Thank you to everyone for believing in my story and supporting me through this journey.