LATEST NEWS
RIVER OF SONGS GOES TO THE MOON
River of Songs written and directed by Kalpna Singh-Chitnis have been included in The Polaris Collection, Lunar Codex time capsule and will head to the Moon with
SpaceX launching in 2023 to the Lunar South Pole with Astrobotic Technologies’ Griffin Lander / NASA VIPER Rover
The poem River of Songs (I-IV) from her poetry collection Bare Soul included in the “Nova collection” of the Lunar Codex time capsule will launch with the
June 2022 SpaceX / Intuitive Machines Nova-C lander mission to Oceanus Procellarum on the Moon.
AWARD
THE TREE (SHORT) WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY KALPNA SINGH-CHITNIS WINS
“THE BEST EXPERIMENTAL SHORT FIM AWARD” AT THE 2022 NORTH DAKOTA ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS FILM FESTIVAL
Kalpna Singh-Chitnis is one of the most versatile independent filmmakers and writer in Hollywood. She studied at the New York Film Academy at Universal Studios in Hollywood and obtained her degree in Film Directing in 2004.
She won the “Silver Award” for directing and producing her short Film “Girl With An Accent” at SMTV Mumbai International Film Festival. Girl With An Accent was Television Premiered on LA18 TV in California and Hawaii, on May 26, 2015, after a successful film festival round worldwide.
Her feature film “Goodbye My Friend“ was officially selected at several International Film Festivals. The highlights include the Silent River Film Festival (World Premiere), Life Fest (US Premiere), Broadway International Film Festival (Los Angeles Premiere), Dhaka International Film Festival, Bangladesh (South Asian Premiere), Lahore LUMS international film festival (Pakistan Premiere) and Guwahati International Film Festival (India Premiere). Goodbye My Friend has been screened at many other venues in the US and India, including a Special Screening at the University of California in Irvine.
Kalpna Singh-Chitnis was officially recognized by the City of Irvine for starting the Silent River Film Festival, the first international film festival of the city, founded on the 40th anniversary of Irvine in 2011. She has also been recognized by the State of California, Senator’s Office and by the Irvine Chamber of Commerce for contributing to the city’s business and community through the Silent River Film Festival.
Director’s CV
Highlights
2021 till present – Advocacy Member at the United Nations Association of the USA
2011 till present – Festival Director – Silent River Film Festival – Irvine, California. Work includes overseeing the departments of Film Programming, Operations, Marketing, Sponsorship, Media, Community outreach, Collaboration with Filmmakers, Industry professionals. Opportunities to work with major studios like Walt Disney, Eros International, UTV, LA18 TV, and others.
2021 – Written, directed and edited The Tree an award winning short film, produced by Silent River.
2013 till present – Editor in-Chief – Life and Legends.
2012 -2014 – Editor-in-Chief – Film and Festival Reviews
2009 – 2011 – Directed and produced feature film, Goodbye My Friend (Adios Mi Amigo), USA.
2004 – 2009 – Directed and produced Girl With An Accent (short), The Saint (short) Happy Birthday (short) and Friends (short). Music Video – Let’s Go. Short Documentary – Nobel Idea, based on an interview with Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka at KPFK Radio and Laba Laba Media. Project Video – Marriott Vacation Club International
2005 – Film Editor, Camera Operator and Producer’s Assistance – Magdalene Media Group.
2002 – 2003 – Collaboration with three American Film Institute thesis projects in Los Angeles
Cuban Missile Crisis – (AFI) Production Coordinator and 2nd A.D.
Double Negatives (AFI) – Assistant Production Manager and 2nd 2nd A.D.
Cloisters (AFI) – Assistant Casting Director.
SCREENPLAYS AND PUBLICATIONS
The Tree (original screenplay) Goodbye My Friend (original screenplay), Girl With An Accent (original screenplay), The Saint (adopted Screenplay), based on The Saint a parable by Khalil Gibran. Happy Birthday (original screenplay), Friends (original screenplay).
Kalpna Singh-Chitnis is also a poet and published author of four poetry collections.
AWARDS AND HONORS
The Best Experimental Short Film Award for “The Tree” at the 2022 North Dakota Environmental Rights Film Festival
Pushcart Prize – Nominated for Pushcart Prize by International Human Rights Art Festival for her poem Sermon.
Silver Award – Girl With An Accent (Short) 2005)
Naji Naaman Literary Prize for Creativity for poetry Collection Bare Soul (2017, Lebanon)
Honor of Yeast Litteraire – Nominated for poetry by Levure Litterarie magazine (2015) Paris, France.
Rajiv Gandhi Global Excellence Award for Cinema and Literature (2014) New Delhi, India.
Bihar Shri (1988) Patna, Bihar India.
Bihar Rajbhasha Award, given by the government of Bihar, India (1987) for her first poetry collection “Chand Ka Paivand” (Patch of Moon).
RADIO, TELEVISION, FESTIVAL APPEARANCES
Kalpna Singh-Chitnis has participated as a poet, panelist, moderator, and filmmaker at significant platforms including Sahitya Akademi (India’s highest academy of letters), Poets & Writers, AWP and several international film festivals. She has appeared on ABC Channel 7, Voice of America, LA 18, Halo Halo show with Kat Iniba, Doordarshan (India’s National Television), KPFK Radio (USA), KPFA (Berkley Station) KUCI, Aakashvani (India’s National Radio) and others.
DIGITAL AND PRINT MEDIA
Kalpna Singh Chitnis has been featured in The Telegraph, OC Register, Los Angeles Times, Daily Pilot, OC Weekly, Times of India, Navbharat Times, Prabhat Khabar, Indian Express, Femina, Care, and her poetry and essays and translations have appeared in World Literature Today, Columbia Journal, California Quarterly, Indian Literature, Pirene’s Fountain, Levure litteraire, The Agonist, Peacock Journal, The Rise Up Review, The Enchanting Verses, World Poetry, Words and Worlds, Spillwords, Prairie Light Review and others.
Her Hindi literature have appeared in Hans, Pahal, Vartman Sahitya, Sabrang, Kadambini, Bahumat and several other journals and papers.
WEBSITES
IMDB – http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1575937/
Silent River Film Festival – http://www.silentriverfilmfestival.com/
Literature and Art of Cinema – https://youtu.be/1aNHH7sul4Q
Life and Legends – http://lifeandlegends.com/
Literary Profile – http://www.pw.org/content/kalpna_singhchitnis
The University of Iowa –http://iwp.uiowa.edu/silkroutes/silkroutes/contributors/kalpna-singh-chitnis
Official Website – http://kalpnasinghchitnis.com/
