By Phuntsok Yangchen
DHARAMSHALA, October 30: The 3rd Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) kicked off today at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts with the screening of ‘Ankhon Dekhi’, a film by Rajat Kapoor, who was present at the screening.
The four-day festival this year will screen 27 films from various countries including the highly acclaimed ‘City lights’ by national award-winning Indian director Hansal Mehta.
Tenzing Sonam and Ritu Sarin, the filmmaker couple who started the festival in 2012, said the films this year were selected for their strong strong personal stamp, their clearly articulated authorial vision, and their undertow of deep humanistic concern. “We were instinctively drawn to films that dealt with issues and subjects that we were close to, or that we felt reflected the state of our world today and were relevant across borders and cultures- political conflict, marginalized communities, questions of identity, the intersection of art and life,” said Tenzing Sonam.
Three films made by Tibetan film-makers – ‘Bringing Tibet Home’ by Tenzin Tseten Choklay, ‘A Gesar Bard’s Tale’ by Lharigtso, and ‘Vara: A Blessing’ by Khyentse Norbu Rinpoche – will screen at the festival.
Other films include ‘Nabarun’ by Indian film-maker Q, ‘Remote Control’, by Byamba Sakhya, ‘Watermarks: Three Letters from China’ by Luc Schaedler, ‘The Square’ by Jehane Noujaim, ‘Only Lovers Left Alive’ by American film-maker Jiam Jarmusch, ‘Papusza’ by Polish film-maker couple Joanna Kos Krauze and Krzyszrof Krauze. Noted animation filmmaker Gitanjali Rao will present a collection of animation movies.
Rajat Kapoor, Gitanjali Rao, Aseem Chhabra, Umesh Kulkarni and Hansal Mehta will showcase their works, hold master classes and participate in panel discussions on topics like ‘Venturing off the Mainstream: New Directions in Indian Cinema’.
“DIFF aims to bring independent films to the mountains to promote and encourage local film-makers, and to promote mutual understanding by creating a non-partisan cultural platform to engage and involve all communities that inhabit the area,” said the organizers.
DIFF this year also selected five film fellows for its newly launched Program, an initiative to encourage and develop filmmaking talent in the Himalayan regions.
