GOOD TALK WITH VAISHALI SINHA
Vaishali Sinha is a NY based award-winning filmmaker originally from India who has created films for over 10 years and speaks regularly about gender, sexuality and human rights in contemporary Indian culture. Prior to filmmaking she started her career working with women’s rights groups in India. Her films, set against social issue backdrops, are a deep dive into universal, fundamental questions using character driven stories that move and inspire audiences. Vaishali’s first feature documentary was the award-winning MADE IN INDIA about the personal stories behind the phenomenon of outsourcing surrogate mothers to India (co directed/produced with Rebecca Haimowitz). ASK THE SEXPERT is her second feature documentary film about Dr. Mahinder Watsa’s iconic and humorous column Ask the Sexpert in the Mumbai Mirror. Dr. Watsa is the most well-known sex advice columnist and sexologist in the country whose career spans 70 years. He has been featured in interviews by NY Times, Al Jazeera, BBC and called a national treasure by Scroll India. ASK THE SEXPERT is a universal story about desire and the human need for communication. Vaishali’s films have been featured in prominent festivals, theaters, museums, conferences and universities across the globe and she has spoken at several of these events. Her films have been on PBS, Netflix and international television stations. Vaishali has received funding from ITVS, MacArthur Foundation, Tribeca Film Institute, Catapult Fund, Chicken & Egg Pictures, Firelight Media, Playboy Foundation, The Fledgling Fund, Center for Asian American Media, Nextpix, Mozilla and more. Vaishali studied filmmaking at the New School University and is an alum of a human rights and sexuality institute held by the internationally acclaimed organization Creating Resources for Empowerment and Action.