14th Edition of Habitat Film Festival to present the Best of Indian Cinema
New Delhi: India Habitat Centre – Habitat Film Festival will embark on a cinematic journey from 17th to 26nd May at India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road. The 14th edition of this spectacular platform for Indian cinema opens with Ashvin Kumar’s much talked about recent release No Fathers in Kashmir on May 17, Fri, at 6:00 pm and closes with Devashish Makhija’s Bhonsle on May 26, Sun, at 7:30 pm. Aiming for an approximation of the best of Indian Cinema year after year, this edition brings on a pan Indian selection from the current year and the year gone by with insightful post screening interactions with Directors.
Widely anticipated for its rich yearly offerings which includes first cuts, Indian Festival Premieres and World Premieres, Debuts and Master Classes, the 10 day Film Festival is nothing short of a cinematic treat for movie enthusiasts. It showcases in its feature films section 42 Films in more than 19 languages including Marathi, Bengali, Malayalam, Hindi, Kashmiri, English, Telugu, Haryanvi, Punjabi, Assamese, Kannada, Khasi, Gaddi, Ravula, Garo, Sherdukpen, Ladakhi Kumaoni, and Santhali. And an additional 45 critically acclaimed films will be screened under the Documentaries, Shorts and Student Film segments.
Films including Vaada Chennai, Kumbalangi Nights, Nagarkirtan, The Mosquito Philosophy, Mehsampur, Noblemen, Tarikh, The Gold Laden Sheep and the Sacred Mountain, Jonaki, Lorni – The Flaneur, Baaram, Abhyakto, Death of an Insane and many more will also feature post screening conversations with their respective directors (A complete list of participating filmmakers are given below. Contact us for interviews). Famed Bengali actress Rituparna Sengupta from Ahaa Re and Malayalam actress Rima Kallingal from Aabhasam are also attending the festival.
Master Classes by filmmakers and relevant panel discussions interspersed with the screenings are expected to drive in film lovers from the city in large numbers, making it enlightening and entertaining in equal measure. The screening of Malayalam feature Aabhasam will be followed by a panel on the #MeToo Movement and the formation of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) in the Malayalam film industry featuring actress Rima Kallingal, director Jubith Namradath, moderated by film critic Anna M. M. Vetticad. A dedicated festival lounge offers collateral openings such as in-depth interactions between filmmakers and film scholars.
The festival has grown to accommodate a rich fare of short films and student films in addition to the documentaries. A special package of documentaries on Dadasaheb Phalke Awardees directed by Savita Oberoi will also be screened. A highlight of PSBT films in the documentary segment is Prantik Basu’s Rang Mahal selected in the International Competition Berlinale Shorts section at the 69th Berlin International Film Festival. HFF will also see the screening of several outstanding student films including The Firefox Guardian, Glow worm in a jungle, Khela, What is the colour of the colourless sky and many more. The films under the new Student’s Cinema Segment will witness the participation of the young and upcoming filmmakers from the Film and Television Institute Pune, Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute Kolkota, AJK Mass Communication Research Centre Jamia Millia Islamia, Sri Aurobindo Centre for Arts and Communication (SACAC) etc.
Ms. Vidyun Singh, Programmes Director, India Habitat Centre said “Habitat Film Festival is known for its diverse choice of films. For the last 14 years, it has been providing the best of all worlds and has been showcasing films that have deeply engaged with its social and local contexts, displaying fine sensibilities and sensitivities. This is a selection that affirms our heterogeneous character. Film has always been a strong medium for the community to come together and we are thrilled to present the best of Indian cinema once again.”
All films at the festival are Eng-subtitled. The entry to the screenings is free but requires prior registration. Online registrations will commence from May 8 onwards on www.habitatfilmclub.com. Passes can also be picked up from the Programmes Desk, IHC.
Dating back to its inauguration in the year 2005, Habitat Film Festival has experienced substantial growth over the years and has been at the forefront in drawing public attention to cinematic gems from across the country away from the glitz and glamour of Bollywood.
Visiting Filmmakers at HFF 2019:
Ashvin Kumar, Sanal Kumar Sasidharan, Indraadeep Dasgupta, Ridham Janve, Joshy Mathew, Jubith Namradath, Jayaprakash Radhakrishnan, Kamakhya Narayan Singh, Wanphrang K. Diengdoh, Shareef Easa, Ranjan Ghosh, Priya Krishnaswamy, Vandana Kataria, Jeeva K. J., Sanjoy Nag, Arup Manna, Daria Gai, Madhu C. Narayanan, Praveen Morchale, Mohan Agashe, Dominic Sangma, Monjul Baruah, Arjunn Dutta, Rohit Dwivedi, Abhijeet Deshpande, Madhupal, Devashish Makhija. Contact us for interviews.