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‘Hello Dad’ strikes emotional chord at BAFF
The screening at Village East by Angelika drew audiences from multiple US cities and Canada for the film’s world premiere.
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Staff Reporter - Wed, 20, May 2026
- 12:17 EDT
- 34
Neha Lohia at the screening / Handout
New York-based filmmaker Neha Lohia’s short film Hello Dad premiered at the Big Apple Film Festival in New York, drawing emotional responses from the audience.
The premiere took place at Village East by Angelika as part of the festival’s Women Filmmakers Showcase.
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Starring Emmy-nominated actor Tirlok Malik and actress Ankita Makwana, the film follows a father-daughter relationship and explores themes of grief, memory, and emotional healing.
According to the filmmakers, audience members remained at the venue after the screening and shared personal accounts related to loss and family relationships.
As the story was shaped in part by Lohia’s personal experiences following the death of her father nearly two decades ago, several attendees later contacted her to discuss the film’s themes.
Singer Domini Monroe, who attended the screening, said the film reflected experiences of parental loss in an emotionally direct way.
Psychiatrist Anna Yusim, resiliency expert Eva Selhub, author Kelly Ann Krzeczkowski, and podcaster Marya Kazmi were among those associated with conversations around the film’s themes of grief and emotional wellbeing.
“What Hello Dad does beautifully is normalize the coexistence of grief and life,” one attendee said after the screening. “It gives people permission to stop pretending they’re completely over something deeply human.”
The event also drew members of New York’s film, arts, and wellness communities, including philanthropist Jody Weiss, actress Despina Mirou, Rev. Paul Sladkus, Eduardo Salazar Uribe, and Jason Yuan.
The film has also received recognition through the Environmental Media Association’s Green Seal initiative for sustainable filmmaking practices.
Lohia is a curator working across cinema, immersive media, and cultural programming. She is currently studying emerging technologies in filmmaking at City University of New York.
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