MAMI Mumbai Film Festival announces 2024 film selections

Office of Arts and Entertainment

Tue Oct 1, 2024 7:24 p.m. Last updated: Tue Oct 1, 2024 7:35 p.m.

Photo: Times of India

“>

Photo: Times of India

The MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, one of Asia’s most prestigious film events, is set to return for its 2024 edition, scheduled for October 19-24. This six-day celebration will feature more than 110 films from more than 45 countries, in more than 50 languages. , durations and genres as part of its official selection.

Building on the success of last year’s inaugural South Asia Competition, the Main Competition section continues to highlight the strongest voices among independent filmmakers from South Asia and its diaspora. The expanded vision of the erstwhile ‘India Gold’ section, which has gained popularity among independent filmmakers, will continue to attract top talent from across the region to compete with their feature films.

Photo: collected

“>

Photo: collected

This year’s competition includes 11 films, showcasing a rich representation of seven South Asian and diaspora films alongside four Indian feature films. Programming includes a diverse mix of fiction, documentaries and animation, with internationally co-produced films as well as independent productions.

Notably, five of the competing directors are women, and most of the films will have their premieres in South Asia, including world, Asian and Indian premieres. Two films in competition this year are official Oscar entries from their respective countries.

For all the latest news, follow the Daily Star Google News channel.

Photo: collected

“>

Photo: collected

The Focus South Asia section will feature films of all lengths, with non-features organized into thematic packages. The non-competitive feature films in this section feature a dynamic range of storytelling, including two films with South Asian themes made by non-South Asian filmmakers. The eclectic selection captures a wide range of unique experiences, from deeply personal narratives to postmodern explorations of superstardom, enriching the South Asian cinematic landscape.

The World Cinema section will present some of the most acclaimed films of the year, including “The Room Next Door” by Pedro Almodóvar, “Emilia Pérez” by Jacques Audiard, “The Substance” by Coralie Fargeat, “Un homme different” by Aaron Schimberg, “Cloud” by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, “Harvest” by Athina Rachel Tsangari, “Suspended Time” by Olivier Assayas, “Rumours” by Guy Maddin, “April” by Dea Kulumbegashvili and “Universal Language” by Matthew Rankin.

MAMI will also review official submissions for the 2024 Oscars from countries including Argentina, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland, Japan, Nepal, Norway and the United Kingdom. This main section of the competition aims to showcase groundbreaking contemporary films from South Asia and its diaspora, showcasing films in 10 languages from 12 countries. This illustrates the festival’s commitment to discovering new talent and celebrating the transformative power of cinema.

Featured films in the competition include:

– “Agent of Happiness” by Arun Bhattarai, Dorottya Zurbó (Nepali, Dzongkha, English | Bhutan, Hungary | South Asia Premiere)

– “Girls Will Be Girls” by Shuchi Talati (English, Hindi | France, India, Norway | South Asia Premiere)

– “Kiss Wagon” by Midhun Murali (Malayalam | India | South Asia Premiere)

– “Little Jaffna” by Lawrence Valin (French, Tamil | France | Première Asia)

– “Nocturnes” by Anirban Dutta, Anupama Srinivasan (English, Hindi, Bugun | India, USA | South Asia Premiere)

– “Pooja, Sir” by Deepak Rauniyar (Hindi, Maithili, Nepali | Nepal, Norway, USA | Premiere in Asia)

– “Rhythm of a Flower” (Phool Ka Chand) by Amit Dutta

– “Santosh” by Sandhya Suri (Hindi | UK, Germany, France, India | South Asia Premiere)

– “Shambhala” by Min Bahadur Bham (Tibetan, Nepalese | Nepal, France, Norway, Hong Kong, Turkey, Taiwan, USA | Premiere in India)

– “The Fable” by Raam Reddy (English, Hindi | India, USA | Asia Premiere)

– “Village Rockstars 2” by Rima Das (Assamese | India | South Asia Premiere)

The Focus South Asia section will include a mix of 10 feature films and 13 short films, showcasing the region’s talent and reflecting the festival’s commitment to diverse and thought-provoking cinema.

The Gala Premiere section will present an out-of-competition selection of Indian films, featuring popular ensemble casts and works from emerging and established talents. This organized non-competition section will include:

– “Depatch” by Kanu Behl (with Manoj Bajpayee, Shahana Goswami)

– “Ghamasaan” by Tigmanshu Dhulia (with Arshad Warsi, Pratik Gandhi)

– “Go Noni Go” by Sonal Dabral (with Dimple Kapadia, Manav Kaul)

– “My Melbourne” directed by Kabir Khan, Imtiaz Ali, Onir, Rima Das

– “The Ancient” (Puratawn) by Suman Ghosh (with Sharmila Tagore, Rituparna Sengupta, Indraneil Sengupta)

The World Cinema section has been an integral part of the festival since its inception in 1997, offering a panoramic view of the most ambitious and accomplished new films from around the world. This year, it will also include a “Rendez-vous with French cinema” segment, showcasing contemporary French cinema in collaboration with the French Institute in India.

Additionally, the Restored Classics section will highlight the festival’s commitment to preserving cinematic heritage, with a collection of restored classic films from India and around the world.