New Delhi: Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Friday announced the dates for the 18th edition of the Mumbai International Film Festival and what film and filmmaking enthusiasts can expect from this edition. At the curtain raiser press conference, Sanjay Jaju shared detailed information about MIFF.
He informed that MIFF will be held from June 15 to 21 at the FD-NFDC Complex in Mumbai. MIFF will also be screened in Delhi (Sirifort Auditorium), Chennai (Tagore Film Centre), Pune (NFAI Auditorium) and Kolkata (SRFTI Auditorium). It is being organised through the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).
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Additional Secretary Neerja Shekhar, PIB PDG Shefali B Sharan and NFDC MD Prithul Kumar were also present on the occasion.
The Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short Fiction and Animation, popularly known as MIFF, began in 1990 as BIFF and was later renamed MIFF.
It is organised by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. The organising committee of MIFF is chaired by the Secretary, Information and Broadcasting and comprises eminent film personalities, documentary makers and senior media executives.
A press release issued by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting said that the opening film of the 18th MIFF will be “Billy and Molly, An Otter Love Story”, which will be screened on June 15 in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Pune and Chennai.
The theme of the 18th MIFF is ‘India in Amrit Kaal’. The closing film of the festival will be the film that wins the Golden Conch and will be screened on June 21.
A record 1,018 films in 65 languages from 38 countries were submitted for the competition sections this year
118 films were selected for the International (25) and National (77) Competition sections by 3 selection committees of eminent film experts. This year’s MIFF programming features a total of 314 films.
The festival will have an international jury comprising eminent film personalities from across the globe – Keko Bang, Barthelemy Fougia, Audrius Stounis, Bharat Bala and Manas Choudhary, who will present the Golden Conch for Best Documentary Film, Silver Conch for Best International Short Fiction Film and Best Animation Film and the Pramod Pati Award for Most Innovative/Experimental Film.
The national jury for the 18th MIFF includes notable names such as Adele Sealman-Eggebert, Dr. Bobby Sharma Barua, Apoorva Bakshi, Munjal Shroff and Anna Henkel-Dawn Nersmark, who will present the Best Indian Documentary, Short Film, Animation, Best Debut Film Award and Best Student Film Award.
According to a Ministry of Information and Broadcasting release, the events will witness an artistic mix of cultural programmes, including a programme showcasing the journey of Indian animation, cultural performances from Sri Lanka at the opening ceremony and Argentina at the closing ceremony, and screening of the FTII student short film “Sunflowers Are the First Ones to Know”, which won the La Cinéfe Award at the 77th Cannes Film Festival this year.
Gala red carpet screenings will be held every day starting with the opening film on June 15 at the NFDC-FD Complex, Mumbai.
Not only in Mumbai but also in Delhi on 17th June, Chennai on 18th June, Kolkata on 19th June and Pune on 20th June the red carpet celebrations will be held with the participation of eminent personalities from the film industry.
For the first time, a documentary film market will be organised in this edition of MIFF.
The DOC Film Bazaar is being organised to help promote filmmaking by providing a platform for filmmakers to find buyers, sponsors and collaborators for their projects.
A dedicated session to explore the symbiotic relationship between documentary filmmaking and corporate branding. According to a press release from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, industry leaders from various industry sectors like FICCI will explore CSR funding of documentaries as a powerful tool for brand promotion and a catalyst for positive social impact.
The 18th MIFF will feature 20 masterclasses, in-conversations and panel discussions featuring industry stalwarts such as filmmakers Santosh Sivan, Audrius Stonis, Ketan Mehta, Richie Mehta, TS Nagabharana, Georges Schwizbel and many more.
