16th Habitat Film Festival To Play Host To 30 Directors, 27 Languages Over 10 Days

New Delhi: The 16th edition of the Habitat Film Festival, which opened in the national capital on Friday, will offer film enthusiasts what its organisers described as a â360-degree experienceâ.
The ten-day festival at the India Habitat Centre will see the screening of films as varied as the Manoj Bajpayi-starrer âJoramâ, which is now an international festival circuit favourite, to undiscovered gems in the Bodo, Tulu and Maithili languages, and from Manipur, which is yet to recover from the aftermath of the ethnic riots that wracked the state last year.
Varun Groverâs âAll India Rankâ and Vetrimaaranâs Tamil film âViduthalai Part 1â are two of the other much-anticipated films on the Festival roster.
Festival spokesperson Vidyun Singh said the event will feature a curated selection of feature films, documentaries and short films. As many as 27 languages will be represented at the event.
Speaking about the Festivalâs heritage, Singh said, âThe standout feature of the festival is that it is the only one of its kind in the country that is dedicated solely to pan-Indian cinema. When we began this in 2006, there were really no platforms for regional cinemas, and independent cinema, and people mostly got to see mainstream cinema.â
A familiar presence in the cityâs cultural circuit, Singh said the festival was launched âto be able to provide a platform for independent and regional cinemaâ.
Singh said, âOver time regional cinema has found its place, not just in India but in the world. It is a very special kind of cinema because independent filmmakers address non-formulaic topics and issues.â
She added: âAnd so there is a much deeper understanding now of issues that may not be mainstream issues, but nonetheless, they affect us and resonate with people.â
A very important aspect of the festival, Singh pointed out, is that âwe have a special segment dedicated to documentary cinema, because documentaries and short films are gaining a very large and loyal audience.â
The Festival will additionally feature a book launch and a workshop dedicated to writing and production workshops. So, for aspiring filmmakers, there is more to do than âjust coming to see the moviesâ, Singh said.
Singh pointed to the âKumar Shahani Retrospectiveâ, which she said would be a âwonderful opportunityâ to be able to get an insight into the work of the avant garde filmmaker from those who worked and collaborated with him, and knew him and his oeuvre intimately.
For the unversed, Shahani is best known for arthouse films such as âMaya Darpanâ, âTarangâ, âKhayal Gathaâ and âKasbaâ. At the Festival, his âChar Adhyayâ (based on Rabindranath Tagoreâs novel), âKasbaâ (inspired by the short story âIn the Ravineâ by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov) and âMaya Darpanâ will be screened.
Also listed on the programme is an exhibition of iconic Hindi film posters and publicity material from the 1970s. It is supported by the National Film Archive of India (NFAI). Also listed is the launch of the anthology, âThe Swinging Seventies: Stars, Style and Substance in Hindi Cinemaâ, jointly edited by Nirupama Kotru and Shantanu Ray Chaudhary.
Singh concluded by noting that more than 30 directors will attend the festival. Each film screening will offer an opportunity to interact with the director, she said. âThe festival is more than just a series of screenings,â Singh said.