Mumbai Film Festival: An Unforgettable Experience

Mumbai is the city of dreams where every dream gets its destination and every work gets encouraged the Mumbai Film Festival is one of them that celebrates the magic of movies from critically acclaimed independent films to world premieres, the MFF offers a platform for diverse voices, cultures, and genres, making it a must-visit for cinephiles. The festival isn’t just about watching films; it’s about living them. With panel discussions, masterclasses by industry legends, red carpet moments, and the electric energy of a city that breathes cinema, each edition is a journey into the heart of storytelling starting from onwards 19th October available at Juhu PVR and Regal Cinema. 

More About MAMI (Mumbai Film Festival) 

The MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, organised by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image brought the best of contemporary world cinema and talent to the city of Mumbai since 1997, expanded its vision to spotlight South Asian and South Asian diaspora filmmakers, MAMI becomes the hub for the world to discover emerging South Asian talent and contemporary cinema. Along with celebrating cinematic excellence and bringing joy to our audiences, we aim to facilitate the exchange of ideas and provide easy access to information related to filmmaking, funding, film distribution, business opportunities, and strategic marketing support for films and filmmakers, the festival also conducts a robust Year Round Programme acts as a hub for creators and cinephiles through screenings, networking opportunities, access to labs and workshops for skill development, masterclasses, and, very importantly, creating a community of cinema lovers.

For the very first time, Youth incorporated attended the festival and had an unforgettable experience. Watched Happyend, Emilia Perez and The Room Next Door films on day 6 in the Regal Cinema which had excellent hospitality management. So, Cine lovers out, go and experience this remarkable film festival without wasting a minute. 

Festival Opening Ceremony

Interim Festival Director Shivendra Singh Dungarpur and Artistic Director Deepti DCunha declared the festival open, marking the beginning of a spectacular showcase of cinematic excellence. The ceremony was attended by esteemed members of the film fraternity, festival partners, and dignitaries. MAMI honoured the incomparable Shabana Azmi with the Excellence in Cinema Award, recognizing her remarkable contribution to Indian cinema. A special screening of her iconic film Arth; will be held at the festival on 20th October, celebrating her enduring legacy.

Red-Carpet Appearances

Prominent figures from the entertainment industry who graced the red carpet included Shabana Azmi, Waheeda Rehman, Payal Kapadia, Rana Daggubati, Siddharth Roy Kapoor, Vikramaditya Motwane, Mini Mathur, Kabir Khan, Ramesh Sippy, Rohan Sippy, Hansal Mehta, Pratik Gandhi, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Abhishek Chaubey, Amole Gupte, Ira Dubey, Shuchi Talati, Swanand Kirkire, Jim Sarbh amongst others.

Opening Film 

All We Imagine as Light- Payal Kapadia’s debut fiction feature, All We Imagine as Light, is a luminous portrayal of three women in the teeming megapolis of Mumbai, struggling as much for survival as for lost love and ever-elusive intimacies. They reconnect with themselves and each other, learn to revel in their desires, seize life’s fleeting moments, and find liberation and hope in a quiet retreat by the sea in Ratnagiri.

Festival Highlights 

• Diverse Lineup: Over 110 films from 45 countries, presenting 50+ languages, lengths, and genres.
• Global Perspectives: Films from acclaimed directors and emerging talent, offering unique insights into global cultures.
• Special Screenings: Tributes to cinematic legends, restored classics, and critically acclaimed films.
• Industry Sessions: Workshops, masterclasses, and panel discussions with industry experts.

South Asia Competition

1. Agent of Happiness
2. Girls Will Be Girls
3. Kiss Wagon
4. Little Jaffna
5. Nocturnes
6. Pooja, Sir
7. Rhythm of a Flower (Phool Ka Chand)
8. Santosh
9. Shambhala
10. The Fable
11. Village Rockstars 2

Awards at the Festival 

Dedicated to showcasing breakthrough contemporary South Asian films of the year.

• Golden Gateway Award: This includes a trophy and a cash prize of INR 25,00,000 to be equally shared by the director(s) & producer(s).
• Silver Gateway Award: This includes a trophy and a cash prize of INR 15,00,000 to be equally shared by the director(s) & producer(s).
• Special Jury Prize: This includes a trophy and a cash prize of INR 5,00,000. This is an individual prize awarded by the Jury.
• Rashid Irani Young Critics Choice Award: Awarded by participants of the Young Critics Lab, this includes a trophy and a cash prize of INR 2,00,000 awarded to the producer(s).

NETPAC Award

The Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema (NETPAC), a globally renowned organisation primarily aims to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of Asian films and their creators, was founded in 1990 by Aruna Vasudev. At MAMI, the NETPAC Award will be presented to a film from the South Asian Competition section.

Dimensions Mumbai

Showcases short films by budding filmmakers presenting creative responses to the city that is home to MAMI.

• Dimensions Mumbai Gold Award: This includes a trophy and a cash prize of INR 1,00,000 for the director(s).
• Dimensions Mumbai Silver Award: This includes a trophy and a cash prize of INR 50,000 for the director(s).

The Film Critics Guild (FCG)

In association with various film festivals around India the Gender Sensitivity Award in 2019 to champion filmmakers who address this important issue. The awards aim to expand and invigorate discourse around films particularly portraying gender equality, and to celebrate work that relates credible characters and stories beyond a patriarchal, heteronormative worldview. FCG is the first and only registered body of pan-Indian film critics with 54 active members across languages and platforms – radio, television, digital, and print. The mandate of FCG is to further the cause of credible and ethical film criticism in the country. 

Focus South Asia features 

1. A Fly on the Wall
2. Angammal
3. Boong Humans in the Loop
4. In Retreat (Be-qayaam)
5. Marching in the Dark
6. The Real Superstar
7. The Shameless
8. The Sharp Edge of Peace
9. Wild Flower Garland (Katu Pootha Malay)

Gala Premieres 

1. Despatch
2. Ghamasaan
3. Go Noni Go
4. My Melbourne
5. The Ancient (Puratawn)

World Cinema 

1. A Different Man
2. A Traveler’s Needs (Yeohaengjaui Pilyo)
3. An Urban Allegory (Allégorie citadine)
4. April
5. Blue Sun Palace
6. Miller’s Point
7. Cloud
8. Diciannove
9. Dying (Sterben)

1. Edge of Night
2. Emilia Perez
3. Good One
4. Happyend
5. Harvest
6. It’s Not Me
7. Kill the Jockey
8. Kneecap
9. Love (Kjaerlighet)

Large Short Films 

1. A Flight of the Lost Dreamy Bird (Hare Patte Ke Rang Ki Patrangi Aur Kahin Kho Gaya Naam Ka Ladka)
2. Ade (On A Sunday)
3. Ballad of the Mountain
4. Coming Back to Life (Et Moi, Je Revis)
5. Leela
6. Lice (Jooyein)
7. Noises from the Basement
8. Sombre Skies (Mekhavritham)
9. The Fishes (Meenukal)
10. The Usher

Restored Classics 

Burden of Dreams 

Camp de Thiaroye 

The Mirage 

The Ritual (Ghatashraddha)

MAMI Tribute to Kumar Shahani 

Kumar Shahani redefined the cinema in India. One needs to say it as openly as this, to make a very large and very valid claim. He did it as a filmmaker, as a theorist, and as a teacher, pioneering an aesthetic project for film defined by the actual practice of celluloid film, rather than its commercial, state-developmental or overtly political usage. He was an early alumnus of the Film & Television Institute of India, where he was taught by his mentor, Ritwik Ghatak, an IDHEC fellowship, he assisted Robert Bresson on Une Femme Douce (1969) while actively participating in the famed protests of May 68. When he returned to make the slow-moving and highly stylised Maya Darpan, there existed no framework within India to understand the film. It took twelve years to make Tarang, an epic melodrama featuring stars and several mainstream conventions set in an era of class warfare amid political divisions in 1970s Mumbai.

Closing Film 

Anora is the winner of the 2024 Palme d’Or, continues Sean Baker’s exploration of the marginalised and often overlooked people in society. The film tells the story of Ani, a sex worker in Brooklyn who marries the son of a wealthy Russian oligarch, only to face an escalating series of events that challenge her hopes for a better life. Baker masterfully blends comedy and tragedy, taking audiences on a rollercoaster journey that echoes screwball comedies of the 1930s while also diving into modern social issues.

Closing Ceremony

The MAMI Mumbai Film Festival concluded its highly successful 2024 edition with a closing ceremony held at PVR INOX, Juhu, Mumbai. This year’s festival showcased an impressive lineup of over 110 films from 45+ countries in 50+ languages, solidifying its reputation as one of the most influential film festivals in South Asia. Spanning two venues, PVR INOX and Regal Cinema, the festival featured 20 world premieres, 25+ Asia premieres, and 35+ South Asia premieres, bringing a wide spectrum of cinematic storytelling to the forefront.

The closing ceremony was followed by the screening of Sean Baker’s Anora which had its South Asia Premiere. One of the most anticipated films at the festival, it is based on a story of Ani (Mikey Madison), a Brooklyn sex worker who gets mixed up with the Russian mafia. While receiving the award for her co-production, Richa Chadha shared, “This award means a lot. We were hoping for a good audience in our country. This will always be an Indian film even if it’s an international co-production. Kudos to the MAMI Film Festival for pulling it off. It’s always the freedom of expression and that is what matters.”

Industry Programme is envisioned as a forward-looking platform that brings together filmmakers, domain experts, and key players in the industry through conversations and knowledge-sharing sessions aimed at fostering a healthy discourse on the film industry, these sessions cover a wide range of topics around the craft, the business of filmmaking, and the emerging trends in the industry that are poised to shape the market in the coming year. Another focus is implementing sustainable filmmaking practices and how filmmakers can weave compelling narratives that can influence public perception and drive policy change. The programme will also feature discussions on the commerce of filmmaking – strategies to bring audiences back to the theatres and sessions to illustrate successful collaborations and explore prospective film policies.