COLORS

Roopa Iyer MA, (PhD)
Director/Producer/Actor
India Classic Arts & Friday Films
New Jersey, USA & Bangalore, India

An award winning socially conscientious film maker, director, writer, actor, dancer, choreographer, model, business executive, humanitarian, philanthropist, and philosopher.
(Currently serving as: Vice President, Human Rights & Anti Corruption Forum, India. Served as JUROR at the Bangalore International Film Festival, 2016)

Filmography
- DATTU (2007) Producer and Actor, Award winning feature film
- MUKHA PUTA (2010) Producer, Director, and Actor, Award winning feature film
- CHANDRA (2013) Producer and Director, Award winning feature film
- COLORS (2017) Producer and Director, Completed and ready for release

Awards & Accolades

COLORS (2017)
- WINNER, Best Family Film, Van Gogh Award, Amsterdam Film Festival
- WINNER, Foreign Feature, Hollywood International Moving Pictures Film Festival
- WINNER, Best Female Director, London Independent Film Awards
- WINNER, Best Women Filmmaker, Barcelona Planet Film Festival
- WINNER, Best Women’s Film, Calcutta International Cult Film Festival
- WINNER, Best Feature Film, UK Film Festival
- WINNER, Best Child Actress, Los Angeles Film Awards
- WINNER, Best Child/Young Actor, London Independent Film Awards
- WINNER, Best Screenplay, Dada Saheb Phalke (India) Film Festival
- HONORABLE MENTION, Best Sound Design, Los Angles Film Awards
- NOMINATED, Best Director, Copenhagen International MFF
- NOMINATED, Best Picture, Copenhagen International MFF
- Official Selection: Feature, Barcelona Planet Film Festival
- Official Selection: Original Soundtrack, Barcelona Planet Film Festival
- Official Selection, Best Director, Los Angeles Film Awards
- Official Selection, Best Original Score, Los Angeles Film Awards
- Official Selection, Feature Fiction, Quito (Ecuador) World Film Festival
- Official Selection, Feature Film, Brazil International Film Festival
- Official Selection, Feature Film, San Lorenzo (Paraguay) Film Festival
- Official Selection, Feature Film, Milan (Italy) Distribution Film Festival
- Official Selection, Feature Film, Dada Saheb Phalke (India) Film Festival

MUKHA PUTA (2010)
- Winner Silver Sierra Award, Yosemite Film Festival, California, USA
- Winner Best Feature Film, International Film Festival, Ireland
- Winner Best Feature Film, International Film Festival, South Africa
- Official Feature, Cairo International Film Festival, Egypt
- Official Feature, Indian Film Festival, Washington, DC USA
- Award Nominee, Swansea Bay Film Festival, Wales, UK
- Award Nominee, International Film Festival, Boston
- Award Nominee, International Film Festival, Singapore

Short Films
- More than 20 short films, mostly on various issues affecting Children (Child Marriage, Child Abuse, Destitute Children, Child Rights, Children Education, Children’s Education)

Documentary
- 30 plus Documentaries, mostly for Government of Karnataka on Social Issues and Regional Stalwarts

Author
- MODERN PHILOSOPHY (2016) Two volume book on applications of various schools of philosophies in normal life

Newspaper columnist
- UDAYA VANI, a major regional language newspaper. Regular columnist writing on social issues and philosophy

Performing Arts
- Vedas, the Universal Truth! A World Tour (2007) - Created and choreographed a unique creation, that celebrates the knowledge and culture of India.
- Production and Performance of Classical and Contemporary Dance Programs at more than a dozen cities in the US (2009)
- Produced the biggest ever live entertainment show in Bangalore (2005): Double Oscar Winner A R Rahman

Honors and Accolades
- Prestigious "Mahatma Gandhi" Award Winner at House of Lords, London (2015)
- Young Leader Award, Mysore, India (2011)
- NaaTya Kalaabhinethri - Brain Centre (2011)
- Indian Achiever – Gold Medal (2010 at UK)
- Glory of India – Gold Medal (2010)
- NRI “Pravasi” Award from British High Commissioner (2010)
- Adarsha Ratna (2006)
- Natya Saraswathi (2006)
- Padma Kalaashri (2004)
- Indira Priyadarshini (1999)
- Bangalore Supermodel (1999)

Charity

Roopa Iyer’s steadfast commitment to charity is apparent though her deep involvement in a multitude of charitable programs focusing on underprivileged and deprived children. She has trained HIV/AIDS affected children, destitute and visually impaired children and has organized several charity dance stage shows. She is supporting more than 12 NGOs of the state financially to serve HIV/AIDS children. She has orchestrated, organized and performed in numerous musical and dance events around the world to support HIV infected children.

She is the founding Director of "Namma Mane – a charitable trust" dedicated to helping under privileged and deprived children and women who are in need of basic life necessities. Namma Mane is striving to provide shelter and care, generate an ambiance of mutual love to nurture the emotional need, and provide simple religious and philosophical discourses to satisfy the spiritual yearnings, creating in totality a cohesive social structure to serve these special under privileged - young and elderly.

Personal Information

Ms Roopa Iyer was born at Belakavadi, a small village in Karnataka, India to a lower middle class orthodox family. Her father (Late A. S. Prakash) was a farmer, and mother (Satya Lakshmi), an elementary school teacher. She grew up in the village till her father passed away due to an heart ailment when she was 5, after which her family moved to Bellur, another small village in Karnataka.

Her humble beginnings, young Roopa Iyer started a dance academy in Bellur for young girls. She learnt and taught dance and performed numerous dance programs at this tender age. Five years later, she moved to Bangalore with her family and started her career in performing arts, and later moved into films. She started India Classic Arts and more recently Friday Films in US and India to further her causes.

In parallel, she pursued her academic goal and earned two Masters’ Degrees (in Philosophy & Commerce) and is now pursuing a doctorate in Philosophy.