Neha Lohia’s ‘Hello Dad’ Draws Large Audience At Film Fest

India-West News Desk

NEW YORK, NY – New York-based filmmaker Neha Lohia premiered her short film ‘Hello Dad’ to a full audience at the Big Apple Film Festival in Manhattan, where the screening prompted conversations around grief, family relationships and emotional healing.

The film screened at Village East by Angelika as part of the festival’s Women Filmmakers Showcase.

Starring Tirlok Malik and Swiss actress Ankita Makwana, ‘Hello Dad’ follows a daughter coping with the loss of her father years after his death while continuing to hold onto memories of him.

During a post-screening discussion, Lohia said the film was inspired by her own experience of losing her father 18 years ago. “This film was never about letting go,” Lohia said during the discussion. “It was about learning how love continues differently.”

She added that grief and memory often continue alongside everyday life rather than disappearing completely.

Singer Domini Monroe, who attended the premiere with her mother, said the film reflected her own experience of losing her father.

Good News Corporation founder Paul Sladkus and CNN contributor Eduardo Salazar Uribe said the screening left them reflecting on personal experiences with loss.

As part of the event, Lohia distributed miniature handwritten “love notes” inside small envelopes carrying messages about remembrance and enduring love.

Ahead of the premiere, the film also generated online participation through a campaign inviting people to share messages they wished to say to their fathers and loved ones.

Following its New York premiere, ‘Hello Dad’ is expected to continue its international festival run.