Most Horrifying Film to Compete at RxSM Film Expo

LOS ANGELES - Feb. 9, 2014 - PRLog -- Fresh off its double win as “Best Documentary” and “Most Horrifying Film” at PollyGrind in Las Vegas, Chandan Gupta’s feature documentary “Sacrifice: In the Name of Goddess Gadhimai” has been selected for competition in the Self Medicated Film Expo (RxSM) which runs parallel to South by Southwest Film Festival (SXSW) in Austin, TX, according to Maria Collis of Leomark Studios, worldwide sales agents for “Sacrifice.”
         As part of Film ExChange, an international network which includes the Independent Film Awards Berlin, Pollygrind, RxSM and four other film showcases, “Sacrifice” is also in the running for the Crossroads Award, to be awarded to the top three films out of all seven festivals in April.
         “Sacrifice: In the Name of Goddess Gadhimai” captures a week-long religious festival held in a remote village in Southern Nepal. Unbeknownst to most of the world, eight million Hindus travel here from throughout Asia once every five years to worship the Goddess Gadhimai. They chant, burn incense, ring bells, and cry at the stone deity’s feet for five days. But this goddess wants blood, and the worshippers, most of whom are very poor, bring farm animals for sacrifice. Close to a half million buffalo, goats, and roosters are slaughtered. Finally, the people feast. This film captures for the first time the shocking ritual killing of these animals, the joy that comes from the prayers answered, and the need that drives the worshippers’ belief.
         Chandan Gupta, producer/director of “Sacrifice,” is a native of Nepal, where he regularly attended the Gadhimai festival growing up. Mr. Gupta’s first film Endangered Species, a 17-minute dramatic action short, garnered numerous awards at festivals throughout the United States including the Reel Black Man award, and Best Dramatic Short at the Action on Film festival. The film went on to be acquired by the BET cable network, and aired nationally in the category of Best Short Film. “Sacrifice” is Mr. Gupta’s first feature.
         The RxSM Film Expo takes place in Austin, TX, March 6th - 13th.
Sacrifice Trailer: http://leomarkstudios.com/sacrifice.html