While Mumbai is still waiting for its famous consistent monsoon to arrive, something else kept the temperatures fluctuating at the NFDC building on Peddar Road. The 18th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) 2024 for the world of Animation, Short Films, and Documentary Films opened its doors on the 15th of June. The RIF team had all their gear, binoculars, and pen/paper ready to ensure nothing missed their keen eye.
MIFF, organized by NFDC, expanded its boundaries large and square. The usual boring government building transformed into a cinematic arena for all film buffs. This year, the first of many firsts marked their presence. In the 18th Edition, MIFF organized simultaneous screenings of selected films across cities – Delhi, Kolkata, Pune, and Chennai. The delegate registration was opened for students, professionals, film lovers, and media. MIFF launched their app, easily downloadable from any app/play store. The NFDC campus transformed into a colourful universe where no corner was left unattended. MIFF 2024 also hosted its first dedicated Documentary Film Market, giving opportunities for co-productions, work-in-progress showcases, and a viewing room. MIFF also provided a platform for many film companies excelling in animation, CGI, camera, lens technology, and more for collaboration opportunities.
MIFF had more than 500 films in total across all sections – Focus, Competition, Student, Retrospective, Country Focus, Animation, Short, and much more. The program was vast and balanced, featuring panel discussions on “Beyond The Lens: Funding And Monetization in Documentary Filmmaking”, “Unveiling the Animation Frontier: Building Intellectual Properties Through Animation Films – Case Study: Ayalaan & Chhota Bheem” and many more, masterclasses on “Exploring the Wilderness: Indian Wildlife Documentaries and Conservation Efforts”, “Animation Masterclass: Schwizgebel’s Approach to Animation” and many more and screenings for “Inside Out 2”, “Brand Bollywood Downunder”, “Poacher” and many more. MIFF also laid the red carpet and cultural programme every evening, bringing alive the energy that swayed between serious discussions, interesting panels, and engaging films during the day.
The RIF team shuffled between the audience, filmmakers, jury members, organizers, exhibitors, and students to gather their responses and suggestions. The curtain raiser of the festival on the 15th featured the opening film “BILLY AND MOLLY : AN OTTER LOVE STORY” with attendance from renowned filmmakers, actors, and industry stalwarts like Madhur Bhandarkar, Abhishek Banerjee, Avinash Tiwary, Divyenndu and many more. Today is the last day of the festival, culminating in the award ceremony at NCPA. Awards under national and international sections will be given to the Best Film, Technical Awards, Director, and more.
A special highlight of MIFF was inclusivity and accessibility, with films for differently-abled cinema enthusiasts. MIFF organizers have raised the bar for film festivals this year.
The RIF team conducted a series of interviews and will cover the closing ceremony too. Keep watching this space and bookmark our website for easy access to further information and to uncover our special coverage on MIFF.
On a different note, RIF would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported our program and initiative. While we are screening the film “Uljhan” on the 25th of June 2024 at Cinepolis, Andheri, Mumbai, at 8 pm (to book the tickets, visit: https://in.bookmyshow.com/mumbai/movies/uljhan-the-knot/ET00402027) We are happy to announce that we are expanding our boundaries to other cities. Stay tuned for updates to know which city we are arriving in next.
