MAMI Mumbai Film Festival announces 2024 film selections

The MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, one of Asia’s most prestigious cinematic events, is set to return for its 2024 edition, scheduled from October 19 to 24. This six-day celebration will showcase over 110 films from more than 45 countries, encompassing over 50 languages, lengths, 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 spotlight the strongest voices among independent filmmakers from South Asia and its diaspora. The expanded vision of the former “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.

This year’s competition features 11 films, showcasing a rich representation of seven South Asian and diaspora films alongside four Indian features. The lineup includes a diverse mix of fiction, documentary, 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 South Asian premieres, including World, Asia, and Indian premieres. Two films in this year’s competition are official Oscar submissions from their respective countries.

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

The World Cinema section will present some of the year’s most acclaimed films, including “The Room Next Door” by Pedro Almodóvar, “Emilia Pérez” by Jacques Audiard, “The Substance” by Coralie Fargeat, “A Different Man” 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 screen the official submissions to the 2024 Academy Awards (Oscars) from countries including Argentina, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland, Japan, Nepal, Norway, and the United Kingdom. This main competition section aims to showcase breakthrough contemporary films from South Asia and its diaspora, featuring films in 10 languages from 12 countries. This exemplifies the festival’s commitment to discovering new talent and celebrating the transformative power of cinema.

 

Highlighted 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 | Asia premiere)

– “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 | Asia premiere)

– “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, Nepali | Nepal, France, Norway, Hong Kong, Turkey, Taiwan, USA | India premiere)

– “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 features and 13 short films, highlighting talent from the region and reflecting the festival’s dedication to diverse, thought-provoking cinema.

The Gala Premiere section will feature an out-of-competition selection of Indian films, showcasing popular ensemble casts and works from both upcoming and established talent. This curated out-of-competition section will include:

– “Despatch” by Kanu Behl (starring Manoj Bajpayee, Shahana Goswami)

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

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

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

– “The Ancient” (Puratawn) by Suman Ghosh (starring 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 globe. This year, it will also include a ‘Rendezvous with French Cinema’ segment, showcasing contemporary French filmmaking in collaboration with the Institut Français en Inde.

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

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