It was a family affair for the world premiere of Richie Mehta?s Amal Thursday night.  Hundreds of extended family, film-school pals and other well-wishers were there to see the highly anticipated tale of a kind-hearted auto-rickshaw driver. Of course there were an equal number of near-hysterical fans screaming their adoration at stars like Rupinder Nagra on the red carpet. 

Programmer Marguerite Pigott expressed the collective disbelief of festival programmers at what Mehta accomplished in his first feature. ?When we screened Amal, we were tremendously struck by the ambition of the production.  Here was a first time filmmaker and two first time producers who decided:  I know we?ll go to India to shoot a substantial feature film with significant Indian stars.   It shows remarkable ambition, and for that tremendous kudos are deserved.?

The Sheraton College graduate and his producers worked tirelessly to get Amal, based on a short story by Shaun Mehta, off the ground.  They pitched to anyone who?d listen, including Bill Clinton!  A keen-eyed audience member asked Mehta why Clinton was thanked in the credits.  ?We were at a wedding in India that Bill Clinton was at.  We made a bet who would be the first person to pitch Amal to him.  Everyone in the party was trying to get to him.  I got to him and gave him a postcard, because he loves movies, but they didn?t believe me.  Later on ? he?s like a hurricane, people surround him, swirling around ? the swirl comes back towards me, and they still don?t believe I talked to him.  And Bill?s shaking everyone?s hand, people are pitching him on oil deals, Aids in Africa, and he gets to me and he says ?I said I?d watch your movie ? I will!?  I said ?Bill, if you want to watch the movie, I have to get it to you.  You need my email address.  And the producers said ?I can?t believe you got Bill Clinton to email you.?

More than anything, the producers wanted to thank Telefilm for taking a chance on such an ambitious shoot with a first time director.  ?The toughest thing was trying to convince Telefilm to support a million dollar film, where you?re going to take 30 people and plant them in a village, we?re going to shoot a film in 29 days in 44 locations.  I think it?s a milestone they even let us in the door,? said producer Steven Bray.

Amal looks like it could have cost $20 million from the number of locations and the rich visual tapestry of India that is captured so magically.  That?s not to say they didn?t face hardships.  One night Mehta was walking back to the apartment complex the production had rented when he was chased by wild dogs!  ?All the dogs were really quiet and started looking at me.  And they were vicious.  So I jumped on top of a van, and they surrounded me, they called their buddies.  So I text-messaged the producers:  ?Guys, can?t get home, surrounded by wild dogs, please help.?

?Try talking to your insurance people on the phone, and trying to assure them everything is fine when wild dogs are attacking your director,? said producer David Miller.

Amal will have its next and final screening on September 15th at 9:15am