Los Angeles, Nov 14 (IANS): "Newton", India's official entry for the foreign language film category at the Academy Awards 2018, premiered at the 31st American Film Institute (AFI) FEST 2017 here.

The Amit Masurkar directorial, which features Rajkummar Rao, Anjali Patil, Pankaj Tripathi and Raghubir Yadav, was chosen for the World Cinema section of the fest. The screening also marked the Los Angeles premiere of the film on November 12, a statement said.

"It's a great honour to screen our film here at the AFI FEST. What's great about this festival is that it is absolutely free for the audience," Masurkar said.

"Newton" was released theatrically in India in September and had its world premiere earlier this year at the 67th Berlin International Film Festival 2017. The film also won the Jury Prize for Best Film at the 41st Hong Kong Film Festival 2017.

Produced by Drishyam Films, the movie revolves around a young government clerk who is sent on election duty to a Maoist-controlled town and how the ideological struggle puts him in an awkward situation. It was shot in the interiors of Chhatisgarh.