Shyamhari Chakra
The picturesque Himalayan town of Dharmashala in Himachal Pradesh is gearing up for the ninth edition of Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) commencing on 29.
One of the major independent film festivals of India, the week-long annual event would go virtual this year in view of the ongoing pandemic.
DIFF will feature 10 films that includes four feature films and six documentaries.
The four feature films are Corpus Christie, Identifying Features, Air Conditioner and Shell and Joint while the documentary genre comprise 76 Days, Pearl of the Desert, A Rifle and a Bag, The Kingmaker, Softie, and Welcome to Chechnya, the hosts have announced.
Screenings apart, DIFF panel will include film writer and critic Namrata Joshi in conversation with writer Varun Grover and screen-writer Juhi Chaturvedi about screen-writing in the Indian independent film space.
Award-winning producer and director Shrihari Sathe will talk to south Asian filmmakers Mostafa Sarwar Farooki from Bangladesh, Deepak Rauniyar from Nepal, Geethu Mohandas from India, Afia Nathaniel from Pakistan and Tashi Gyeltshen from Bhutan during the festival.
The focus of the talks would revolve round their personal journeys and the common challenges that filmmakers from the sub-continent face and what it takes to find audiences worldwide even after making successful first films, the hosts have added.
“When filmmakers and Dharamshala residents Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam decided to launch DIFF in 2012, their main aim was to give the local community a platform to watch good alternative cinema. Eight years later, DIFF has become one of India’s leading independent film festivals that draws audiences from across the country and abroad”, the festival committee statement acknowledged.
“I am not a great fan of film festivals and I seldom attend them as I find them too busy and there is too much hot air all around. This is truly the first film festival I have ever been to which I enjoyed. This festival truly is a celebration of cinema rather than a market place where you are trying to hustle,” observed iconic actor Naseeruddin Shah.
“DIFF is my favourite film festival in India because there are no frills attached to it. It is purely about watching films and meeting people. This aspect makes it a really special and unique festival,” added award winner acclaimed actor Adil Hussain.
