Bio Note:

Rahul Ramchandra, a cinematography student at the Film & Television Institute of India, Pune. The honest approach in his work that focuses on stories from his roots which is a tribal dominated district in Maharastra bringing a first hand experience as he himself belongs to tribal community.

Description of Project:

The film is an anthology of stories that were important for the director to understand his grandfather’s view about life. It is a chapter wise personal film that portrays the director’s journey of rediscovery, connecting dots from his childhood memories with his grandfather and his influence on him.

Bio Notes:

Ifreen Raveen is a freelance journalist based in Delhi. She writes fiction and non-fiction with a focus on human rights, conflict, and gender. She is currently working as a researcher for Red Stone Films.

Asma is a multimedia journalist, currently working with BBC India. She is practicing and trained in covering multimedia stories. She also writes fiction as well as non-fiction.

Project Description:

Through the experiences of one family, the film explores the questions of intergenerational trauma and grief experienced by the women of Kashmir, and their stories of survival and resistance. It is a story of Kashmir through the eyes of women.

Bio Notes:

Alvina is an editor and filmmaker, born in 1997 and raised in Bangalore, India. She pursued her Bachelor's degree in Psychology, Literature, and Journalism, before completing her editing degree from Whistling Woods International, Mumbai, in 2020. Alvina has always been passionate about art and storytelling, which led her to pursue a career in film editing She has been working as an editor for 3 years, having edited Fiction, Non-fiction and Commercials.

She attended Interaction - Filmart, Serbia (2022) and Docedge Kolkata (2023) with her second documentary.

“My Grandfather’s House” is her first directorial venture.

Bio Notes:

Nundrisha Wakhloo is an independent documentary filmmaker based in New Delhi, India. Her work captures forms of reminiscing in spaces and by people, driven by her own sense of belongingness to her culture. She completed a year-long fellowship at the Union Docs Collaborative Studio, New York, in 2020. Presently she is the Co-Director of New Delhi chapter of the Video Consortium, a global platform that supports voices in documentary film and video journalism. Her films have been screened at various festivals. Her diploma film Chaaya (From the Shadows) is available on MUBI and DA films. She recently completed her short documentary Brair Kani (Cat’s Attic) which is being screened at various festivals.

Daksh Punj has worked as a freelance filmmaker on documentaries for Discovery, National Geographic, Animal Planet, and advocacy films for various non-profits.

In 2022, he was one of the twelve selected participants of the 20th edition of Bridging the Gap program (2022) hosted by The Scottish Documentary Institute. He recently codirected a short documentary called Cat’s Attic that premiered at IDSFFK, 2023 in the competition section.

Bio Notes:

After completing screenwriting course at Film and Television Institute of India, Supriya Prasad Rauniar shot and directed her debut film, Portrait of a Willow single-handedly. The film has been part of official selection at the prestigious Indian Film Festival of Stuttgart, Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, Film SouthAsia 2022, Award Winner at UK fest etc. Her debut feature, The Honeybee Girl was selected for the Journey to Europe: Scriptwriting Development Lab organized by the European Union Film Festival in association with the Dharamshala International Film Festival & Cineuropa.

Project Name:

Untitled

Project Description:

In a quaint Kongthong village, the Khasi men and the women share equal responsibilities and power and as result there’s negligible domestic violence in the village. The Khasis are one of the largest surviving matrilineal societies in the world. However, in 1990, a men’s liberation group was formed in Shillong also known as Syngkhong Rympei Thymmai (SRT) to overthrow the matrilineal system as they believe that such a system turns men into drunkards. While SRT fights for patrilineal system, the women still fight to have a place in Dorbar (Village Council) and equal rights.

Bio Notes:

Geetanjali Gurlhosur is an independent social researcher and documentary filmmaker with close to three years of work experience as a multimedia journalist and research consultant. Her short documentary 'Jarjar Ghar' (2020) won best documentary award at Pune Short Film Festival and was screened at SIGNS Festival, Kerala in 2021.

Project Description:

‘Jaaye toh Jaaye Kaha' is a film about the fears and trepidations of low-income group of people living in houses which are on the verge of collapsing in the oldest parts of Mumbai. It deals with the nostalgia and anxieties of navigating the (lack of) choices of adequate housing in the urban.

Bio Notes:

Sakshi Gulati is a graduate in Film Direction from Film & Television Institute of India (FTII). She has also studied Mass communication and has worked on non-fiction films, Media literacy initiatives & has documented folk cultures. Her short films have been screened at various national & International platforms. Chalbadi is her first feature length documentary.

Logline:

When insurgency forced people to flee Chalbadi, ageing activists Govindarao & Marubai refused to leave. 22 years later, alone and abandoned, they confront the costs they and their people paid for their activism & own mortality. They desperately want people to return. If people don’t, Chalbadi will cease to exist.

Bio Notes:

Ragini Nath is a documentary filmmaker and photographer. She has training in documentary filmmaking from The New School, New York. She has previously worked at the intersection of journalism, film, and social change. Her first independent documentary production Bar and Girl, 2018 has premiered at national and international film festivals. She has also had experience working on projects for the History Channel, Netflix, and Bollywood. Her photography work has been exhibited in the Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival, Angkor Photo Festival, and India Photo Festival. Our Hoolocks is her first feature-length documentary.

Chinmoy Sonowal is a documentary filmmaker and a landscape photographer. He has studied creative documentary filmmaking at Sri Aurobindo Center for Arts and Communication, New Delhi. His first film Bound By Us, 2019 looked at the impacts of human intervention on a forest bounded by the city of New Delhi. Bound by Us has been part of several domestic festivals including Dharamshala International Film Festival and Kolkata International Film Festival. He has a keen interest in working for films that revolve around conservation, natural history, and resource politics. Our Hoolocks is also his first feature-length documentary.

Bio Notes:

Mallika Visvanathan is an independent filmmaker and researcher based in Delhi. With a Masters in Arts and Aesthetics from Jawaharlal Nehru University and a Diploma in Creative Documentary Filmmaking from Sri Aurobindo Centre for Arts and Communication, her work attempts to explore the intersection of research and practice.

Description:

Love, Time, Memory seeks to recollect experiences from the filmmaker’s life as she reflects on loss, illness and solitude.

Bio Notes:

With an educational background in ethics (King’s College, London) and creative documentary (SACAC, Delhi), Varun Trikha is a Toronto/Delhi based auteur filmmaker with a distinct poetic voice. In his short documentary ‘The Seventh wish’ (presented at Yamagata), Varun attempted to reclaim a largely lost genre of Urdu poetry. His second short The Wall was a search for traces of pre-colonial Goan histories. Varun's intuitive search for subterranean realities has come a full circle with his first feature-length film Raise Me a Memory which was amongst six documentaries selected for a special presentation at EFM, Berlinale 2023.

Currently, Varun is developing a creative documentary Diary of a mother, which was selected for the development lab ‘Doc_Commune’.

Pankaj Johar is a director and producer, known for Cecilia (2015), Making India Accessible (2019) and Satyarthi (2019). He worked as a television producer with India’s leading broadcasters for a decade before founding his own production company. His work has been supported by IDFA Bertha Fund, Sundance Institute, Norwegian Film Institute, BRITDOC, BBC and ZDF Arte, among others. His film Shuttlecock Boys featured in almost all the top Indian critics’ year-end lists of 2012. Pankaj has worked as consultant on Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan’s popular show Satyameva Jayate.

A graduate of FTII, Pune, Sanjiv Shah has been a filmmaker for the past 4 decades working on a range of fiction and non-fictions films that explore the cinematic medium to effectively communicate and engage with issues that are socially, culturally and politically relevant. He has worked on prestigious films such as Mirch Masala (1987) and has produced, edited and directed several documentaries on issues like housing rights, drought in the grasslands of Kutch, struggles of organized landless labourers across India, and ecosystems of the desert of Rajasthan and the Himalayas. Sanjiv Shah’s Hun Hunshi Hunshilal (1992) is a film in Gujarati that was made around the time of India’s liberalisation. The film looks at the contemporary history of the era, which saw the rise of globalisation as well as fundamentalism and growing intolerance towards alternative voices and dissent.

Avijit Mukul Kishore is a filmmaker and cinematographer based in Mumbai, India. His areas of interest and specialization have been the documentary film and collaborations with visual artists on video and film based installation. He is also actively involved in art, cinema and cultural pedagogy with several institutions. He has directed Vertical City, Certified Universal and Snapshots From a Family Album.

Hansa Thapliyal is a filmmaker and writer who has worked across fiction and non-fiction forms. She has worked previously on digital archiving and collaborated on a creative project on early Indian cinema. Lately, her work has begun integrating stop motion and animation, in an attempt to make the screen feel more material. Hansa is also a teacher and workshop facilitator.

Iffat Fatima is an independent documentary filmmaker, researcher and audio-visual designer from Kashmir. For many years now through her documentary work she has been exploring the overlaps between memory, history and violence. Her documentary film Khoon Diy Baarav (Blood Leaves its Trail) 2015, explores issues of violence and memory in Kashmir and Lanka- the other side of war and peace is a journey through the history of overlapping conflicts in Sri Lanka. Her films include, Where Have You Hidden My New Crescent Moon, The Kesar Saga, In the Realm of the Visual, Boojh Sakey to Boojh. Her installation work Ethnography of a European city: Conversations in Salzburg, questions some of the assumptions in the east vs. west polarity/ dichotomy /disparity.

Ruchika Negi is a filmmaker and educator, with an interest in critical and creative pedagogical practices. Her films include Every Time You Tell A Story, Malegaon Times and ML 05 6055. She has been awarded artistic residencies at Khoj (New Delhi), Parco Arte Vivente Experimental Centre for Contemporary Art (Turin) and Centre for Contemporary Art, Ujazdowski (Warsaw), and is the recipient of Charles Wallace India Trust- Short Term Fellowship (2016). Ruchika was core faculty at the Creative Documentary Course (Sri Aurobindo Centre for Arts & Communication, New Delhi) from 2015-19, and occasionally teaches film at the Ashoka University, Sonipat. Currently, she is Associate Editor at The Third Eye, a feminist learning platform supported by Nirantar Trust.

R V.Ramani, born in Mumbai, 1957, graduated in Physics from Mumbai University. He worked as a photojournalist in Mumbai and later graduated from the Film and TV Institute of India, Pune, in 1985, with specialization in Motion Picture Photography. Today he is one of the leading documentary filmmakers in India, who has established a unique style of his own, making independent impressionistic documentaries, which has found recognition both in India and abroad. He has traveled widely with his films and his films and Retrospectives have been presented in many International Film Festivals. He regularly conducts filmmaking workshops at many Institutions. Presently he lives in Chennai, working on many feature documentaries.

Iram Ghufran is a Delhi based filmmaker and artist working on moving image, sound and text. She is an award winning filmmaker whose work has been shown in several international art and cinematic contexts, including Berlin, Experimenta India, SAARC Film Festival and ISEA, among others. Iram is currently pursuing a practice based PhD at the University of Westminster, London.

Haobam Paban Kumar is an Indian filmmaker from the state of Manipur. His debut feature film Loktak Lairembee (Lady of the Lake) won the National Film Award for Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation at the 64th National Film Awards 2017. He also won the German Star of India at the 14th Indian Film Festival in Stuttgart, Germany for the film in 2017. His other films include The First Leap (2008), Mr India (2009) and Ruptured Spring (2012) and Phum Shang (2014). He was the head of jury for non-feature films in the Indian Panorama section (51st International Film Festival of India).

Iram Ghufran is a Delhi-based filmmaker and artist working on moving images, sound, and text. She is an award-winning filmmaker whose work has been shown in several international art and cinematic contexts, including Berlin, Experimenta India, SAARC Film Festival, and ISEA, among others. Iram is currently pursuing a practice-based PhD at the University of Westminster, London.

Rintu Thomas is an award-winning director-producer from India whose work is supported by the Sundance Institute, Chicken & Egg Pictures, IDFA, SFF Film Fund, Doc Society, and Bertha Foundation, among others. Over the last 10 years, Rintu’s films have been used as advocacy tools for social impact, included in the curriculum of universities and exhibited globally in spaces such as the United Nations Climate Change Conference and The Lincoln Center for Performing Arts – becoming catalysts for new conversations.

Her debut feature documentary, Writing With Fire, won two awards at Sundance ‘21 (Audience Award and Special Jury Award: Impact for Change).

A Sundance and Japan Foundation fellow, Rintu lives between New Delhi and a quaint mountain town in North India.

Sushmit Ghosh is an award-winning director and cinematographer from India whose work has been supported by the Sundance Institute, Tribeca Institute, Doc Society, SFF Film Fund, IDFA, The Bertha Foundation, Sorfond and the Finnish Film Foundation, among others.

Five years in the making, Sushmit’s debut feature documentary, Writing With Fire is a double Sundance award winner.

In 2009, Sushmit co-founded Black Ticket Films, a production company invested in the power of storytelling. With a strong eye on social justice stories, Black Ticket Films’ award-winning slate of films are being used as advocacy, impact, and education tools by institutions across the world. In his spare time, you’ll find Sushmit motorcycling and hiking through the Himalayas.

She leads the Media Lab at the Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS), As part of IIHS, she teaches and curates the ‘Urban Lens Film festival’. Subasri is a filmmaker whose work deals with questions citizenship through the lens of memory, migration and an interrogation of official identity documents. Her films include ‘Brave New Medium’ on internet censorship in South-East Asia, ‘This or That Particular Person’ about official identity documents and its relation to the idea of personhood, ‘What the Fields Remember’ on the Nellie massacre in Assam in 1983 and ideas of collective memory and justice, ‘Sikhirni Mwsanai’ (Dance of the Butterfly) about a disappearing live performance music form in Chirang District, Assam. Her multi-format project ‘Facing History and Ourselves’ explores ideas of citizenship, borders, and migration in the state of Assam.

Subasri is the recipient of the Association for Asian Studies (AAS), Cultivating the Humanities and Social Sciences Fellowship (2022). She was also awarded the filmmaker/artist residency at the Goethe Institut, Salvador Bahia, Brazil (2017), Chevening Fellowship, UK (2015), Charles Wallace research grant, UK (2012), and the George Washington University Filmmaker Fellowship award, USA (2008). For her project Facing History and Ourselves, Subasri has been supported by the Shergill-Sundaram Arts Foundation (SSAF), India Foundation for the Arts (IFA) and People’s Archive of Rural India (PARI).

Ishani K. Dutta is an Indian filmmaker who makes films on gender, environment, and human rights. Her films have been featured in several film festivals and won multiple awards. Ishani thrives on creating a tangible impact where it matters the most – at the grassroots level among the opinion makers. From the beginning of her career more than two decades ago, she has been a keen researcher of life with a penchant for turning ‘happenings’ into passionate ‘stories.’ She takes her experiences from the Indian hinterlands beyond the realm of the commonplace to make incisive, ardent films on themes and characters that can excite and move discerning global audiences. Ishani’s target now involves making films that imbibe change by binding the global community closer together. Change, she believes, is a partnership that involves humanity at large.

Some of her documentaries include Slumdog Actor, Say Cheese, Faith Revisited, The Land of Vanishing Lakes,  Toxic Trails, and Womb on Rent.

Hemant Gaba is a National Award-winning filmmaker and has worked both in fiction and documentary.

​Hemant's debut an independent feature Shuttlecock Boys (2012) had a limited theatrical release in India and Singapore. The film was listed as one of the Best Indian Independent Films of 2012 by several Indian publications.

​His narrative short film SuperGirl (2015) was awarded Best Live Action Short Film at BAM Kids Film Festival, New York (2016) and was screened in more than a dozen film festivals including TIFF Kids IFF, San Diego Asian FF, Taiwan International Children’s FF, Seoul International Youth FF etc.

​In 2014, he received a film fellowship from the Public Service Broadcasting Trust (PSBT, India) to make a documentary called Japan in Nagaland (2015) that was aired on the Indian National Television.

​His feature documentary An Engineered Dream (2018) received several awards including Best Non-Feature Film at 67th National Film Awards (India) and Jury Prize at International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (2018). The film was screened in more than a dozen film festivals including Guangzhou Docs (China), Jogja NETPAC (Indonesia), Vesoul Asian FF (France) and has been aired in Japan (NHK), Singapore (CNA), Canada (Knowledge Network), China (CCTV), Australia (SBS), Taiwan (PTS), South Korea (KBS), Hong Kong (Now Player) and India (HistoryTV18).

​More recently, Hemant has directed a ZEE5 Original Fireflies Parth Aur Jugnu (10 episodes), an adventure fantasy for kids that premiered on Zee5 (Indian OTT) in May 2023.

​Hemant also contributed as a Script & Creative Consultant on a Bodo language feature film WILD SWANS (2023) directed by Rajni Basumatary, the film was world premiered in Vancouver International Film Festival and won the Best Indian Film at Kolkata International Film Festival.

​His other credits as a Director include one episode of Fuh Se Fantasy (2023) on JioCinema, a MensXP Original mini TV Series Dilliwood (2018) and a collaborative feature X-Past Is Present (2015) that had a theatrical release.

Shabani Hassanwalia is a writer by background and a filmmaker by profession, creating non-fiction content in various media since the year 2000. Her work engages with changing socio-political realities, volatile subcultures and intimate personal histories in an India-in-transition.

She was part of the core editorial team for First City Magazine, a culture monthly, for over a decade. As a co-founder of Hit and Run Films, she helped build a company that, over a decade, produced, directed, and edited feature-length documentary works that traveled to national and international festivals and aired on various channels. She also does extensive advocacy work using documentary, ethnography, observational, and long-format interview methods, to create feature, video, photography, and text pieces in various styles and genres.

Her feature documentaries include Being Bhaijaan (2014), Gali (2017) and Out of Thin Air (2009). She is an INLAKS Fellow, and worked at The Sundance Institute, Los Angeles and the Documentary Filmmakers Group, London, as part of the fellowship.

She is currently working as a chief editor and producer for a feminist think tank The Third Eye, powered by Nirantar, Centre for Gender and Education.

Founder and President of the Kolkata based nonprofit institute Documentary Resource Initiative that hosts DocedgeKolkata, Asian Forum for Documentary, an annual incubation cum pitching platform to support Asian documentary co-production. Postgraduate from Film & Television Institute of India, Pune. As a filmmaker he has contributed as cinematographer, editor and director for both nonfiction and fiction forms. He is now producing documentaries with potential for international co-production. Nilotpal is the former Professor and Dean Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute and Director Manipur State Film & Television Institute and involved in curricular design of various institutes and guest teaching at the postgraduate level in universities and film schools.

Agrima is an independent Short-Film Director, a trained Cinematographer and a Mixed Media Visual Artist from Karnal, Haryana. She has done her Masters of English Literature from Miranda House, Delhi University and a Post Graduate Diploma in Film and Digital Cinematography from Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Kolkata.

Having fashioned her sensibilities through a diverse range of media, her approach to filmmaking is utterly interdisciplinary. Her formal preoccupations with language, literature and cinema, her spiritual connections to what is considered ‘trash’ for most archives and her phenomeno-political understanding of the world are important to her filmmaking.

Ankita started her film career a decade ago, and has worked as a creative consultant, writer and associate director on critically acclaimed documentary features for channels like Discovery, National Geographic and History TV18, as well as branded content for clients such as Amul, Singapore Tourism, UNICEF, Panasonic, amongst others.

Drawing from her own personal experience and real human stories, her current project is a docu-drama that aims to investigate the surprising ways in which our mental health is connected to our physical well-being, and initiate dialogue around our inner lives, thought patterns and beliefs, that ultimately shape our human experience.

Anuj Bhatt is a Media and Cultural Studies graduate from TISS Mumbai and has a deep interest in storytelling through films.

A H Wheeler and Co, a Railway Bookstore after a successful run of 140 years was converted into a multipurpose goods store. His project seeks to document this major cultural change through stories from consumers, stall operators and owners.

I am an independent filmmaker-artist from Assam, India. I am interested in non-narrative and hybrid art that deals with the distinctions and overlaps of experience, reality, and truth. I am currently working on a hybrid documentary about two siblings, their deserted, decrepit ancestral home, and numerous such uninhabited homes in Barak Valley, Assam.

Bhagat Singh Saini is a self-taught filmmaker based in New Delhi, India. As a writer-director, he has created content that ranges from advertisements, short films and documentaries to staging plays. He is an alumnus of Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi from where he obtained his doctorate in media studies specialising in “Stage, Performance and Senses: A Study of New Media Practices in Contemporary Indian Theatre”. He also served as a Guest Faculty at Shri Ram Centre for Performing Arts, New Delhi where he taught 'World Theatre’ & ‘Narrative Techniques’.

On the Run is based in a remote village of Haryana, where a group of boys prepare everyday for the “sixteen hundred meters race” to join the defense forces putting everything at stake, against the backdrop of high unemployment, less chances of success and peer pressure like they have never seen.

Deepshikha Poddar, a M.A. in English Literature, completed her Post Graduate Diploma in Film Direction from Roopkala Kendro, Kolkata. Her first independent documentary film was produced by Documentary Resource Initiative in Collaboration with Yes Bank Foundation. It was screened at the 3rdSouth Asian Short Film Festival, Cefalu Film Festival in Italy and Short Film Factory in Romania.

Her current film ‘Michael and Me’ is an overwhelming love hate story of a creator and his creation,in the backdrop of continuously modernizing city Kolkata.

Divya Kharnare is a young graduate in mass communication who was working with a Youtube channel BhaDiPa & Bha2Pa for a few years. He moved on to working on a few independent documentaries - '15 Seconds A Lifetime','Mahalle's School - Family Going Live' & 'Letters to My Grandma' in various creative spaces.

His project for PSBT Doc Commune revolves around the crazy and chaotic world of Indian Papparazis.

Gaurav is from Rohtak (Haryana) He is 24 years old and pursuing specialisation in cinematography from a film school. I’ve traveled 95,000 kilometres across india on my bike.

My project is about a girl who left a cushioned job in corporate and start living in the Himalayas of Himachal Pradesh. She experiences a sense of liberation there after having passed through troubled times before.

Harsh Hudda is a film director based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. He has worked on feature films and docu-fictions and runs a small production studio in Ahmedabad. His inspiration to create comes from the experiences of everyday life, as he finds beauty in the structure and simplicity of the ordinary. His work explores the art-experience through image and sound.

Hou-hsein is a Filmmaker, Editor, and Visual designer based in Mumbai. They are a Postgraduate in Media and Culture Studies from TISS, Mumbai. They are the Director of two documentary films (4’33’’ and Thalapathy 65 ½).

Her new work focuses on Video Parlors in Mumbai as a site for the cultural possession of the working class over cinema.

Kaatyaayani Pandey is a Delhi-based filmmaker and a graduate of AJK MCRC. With an interest in South-Asian history, she hopes to use her work to uncover hidden stories and lesser-known traditions from the subcontinent.

By following local myths and folklore, her current project explores the mystical and syncretic relationship that humans share with water in the region of Ellora-Khuldabad-Daulatabad.

Kabir Naik is a documentary filmmaker and multimedia artist based out of Delhi, India. His work revolves around interrogating the complexities of social injustice, rural issues, and the commodification of culture.

With his project, he aims to document the Life of a Thampa and his Role in the Journey of Life and Death for the Monpa Community of Arunachal Pradesh.

Kallol Mukherjee is a filmmaker from Jabalpur based in Mumbai. His interest lies in human stories and the experimentation of non-fiction narratives with fictional elements.

His upcoming project intends to capture the journey of a financially unstable Bundelkhandi rapper FPC ANK's struggles and 'jugaads' of keeping his language alive by launching his first rap album independently.

Kavita Yadav is a Creative Producer, Director and Writer based out of Bengaluru, India. Over the past years she has had the opportunity to work on various storytelling formats from Documentaries, Non-Fiction Shows, Advertisements to Corporate Videos.

Though her heart lies in telling real impactful stories from her neighbourhood.Her last project Decoding Disasters, a 4 part series for Discovery India was announced National Winner at Asian Academy Awards 2022 in Short Format - non fiction category.

Born in Jaipur, Rajasthan and computer science graduate, Keshav Madhav is a full time cinematographer finding subtle expressions of life through his lens.

Ketki Yewale is a Cinematographer based in Navi Mumbai who aims to create visuals that deeply resonate with the viewers. She has extensive experience in shooting short films, advertisements and corporate films.

Currently, she's working on a documentary revolving around a heartwarming friendship of a housewife with her two maids, showcasing the nuances of their relationship as well as navigating through some deeper complexities.

Kirti is currently based in Shillong, Meghalaya. Kirti finds herself at the intersection of art, nature and culture. She is inclined to works where there is commitment to Research and Documentation of ancient Knowledge system. Camera as a tool of inquiry helps her to critically examine the world, to experience it in more depth and beauty.

Lokesh is a film student at the Film and Television Institute of India, currently in the second year of the course. He attended IIT Kharagpur for his bachelors, then worked at a tech startup in Bengaluru, before taking a plunge into filmmaking and joining a film school. He is a native of a small village called Ramli in Betul district in Madhya Pradesh.

His project is about the dichotomy in the struggles and aspirations of India's youth, explored from the perspectives from his friends from village and his friends who work plum jobs at top multinationals.

Maharshi Tuhin Kashyap is a practicing filmmaker from Assam and a final year student of SRFTI.

Proposed FIlm Logline - Five sisters from a flood affected interior village in Assam accidently end up in the national boating team of India together but now struggle to row for the country fighting tides of societal and family pressures.

I am a Fine-artist. Practicing storytelling for the last 12 years in Theater, Painting, and Film.

Through this documentary, I'll be tapping into some personal, political, and existential questions about Banjara Community to which I biologically belong but I feel alienated inside the community.

Mohd Fehmeed is a film graduate from AJK - MCRC Jamia Millia Islamia, Theatre Worker, and New Media Enthusiast capturing stories from rural India about dreams, aspirations, and hurdles.

His latest project delves into the world of Indian street magicians, capturing their art and exploring the joys and challenges of their lives.

Mythri Babu is a visual artist currently based in Goa.

Her medium of work includes photography, video, animation and illustration.

Mythri considers herself as a storyteller and she is interested in memory, history and other remains from the past. She loves illustrating women.

Nawas Ali is a filmmaker with a physics background, from Kerala, who holds a Master's degree in Film Editing from the Film and Television Institute of India.

His untitled project is a vignette, much like a reverie, that poetically explores the teeming connections between Kolkali, Kalaripayattu, and Mappilapaattu.

Nayla Khwaja is a visionary filmmaker, journalist, and advocate for women's rights and minority communities. With a strong commitment to intersectionality, her work challenges stereotypes and amplifies marginalized voices.

Through "Unveiling Autonomy," Nayla aims to inspire change and promote understanding through powerful storytelling and visual expression. She is currently working on the idea of "unveiling autonomy" to shed light on the struggle of muslim women over their choices of appearances and lifestyles.

Palok is a film maker-director from Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh, now based in Delhi. With over a decade of experience, across advertising, corporate and documentary film making, he had worked for some of the leading brands, organisations and governments like Amway, Discovery India, Dabur, Maruti Suzuki, Ministry of Education (GOI) and more.

He is currently exploring subjects for his Documentary project while parallely honing his skills and understanding with Doc_Commune.

Pritam Patowary is a filmmaker from Tangla, Assam, who is currently pursuing his Masters in Film Studies from Jadavpur University.

His project "Nocturnal" is a documentary based on the lives of the 'night chowkidars' employed in the residential colonies of Kolkata. Co-founder of an independent filmmaking group named 'Bioscopic Arena', he is part of Sundance Writer's Cafe and has also been invited for a virtual interview at Raindance Film School, London.

Priya Naresh is a filmmaker based in New Delhi. She has made two short fiction films and two non-fiction films. Her curiosity lies in exploring the space between fiction and non-fiction film practice.

Her current project is an essay film on the city of Ahmedabad and her relationship with the city.

Raashid Andrabi is a journalism graduate and full-time journalist based in Bandipora, Kashmir.

His project is a documentary titled "The Last Sanctuary," which tells the story of the Burusho people, a small community in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, who have managed to preserve their language and cultural heritage for over a century despite facing political and economic challenges.

Sagar Saurabh is a lyricist, actor and filmmaker from Assam and is currently based in Mumbai. He co-wrote and played a primary character in the feature film ‘Aamis’ (Ravening) which premiered at Tribeca Film Festival. His short film 'An Afternoon With A Stranger' (2022) has been selected for the SiGNS and Cinergo International Film Festival 2023. His feature-length project 'A Pistol' was in the Writers INK Feature Film Screenwriting Lab 2022.

His current project is about a lonely lady who devotes herself to the conservation of a rare species of bird.

Shruti Parthasarathy is a writer, photographer, filmmaker, sustainability practitioner and kindness evangelist.

She is an alumni of Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute.

She believes that everything one does is a reflection of the people, place and time one lives in.

Through this project she delves into the bias of 'gendered expectations' and it's ramifications on the contemporary male identity.

Soham is an Indian born, London based Writer-Director, an alumna of University of the Arts London (Directing), a recipient of the JN Tata Scholarship. Love Death and Everything In Between won the ‘Prix Interculturel Award’ at Film School Fest Munich. AALO premiered at Mumbai IFF. Soham aims to normalise South Asian identity in film, with a focus on familial relations, marginalised identities and peculiar human connections. He is in early stages of development for his first feature 'The Sea Urchin' with Pop Up Film Residency.

A Sunny Day in Cacluuta follows a young woman in her 20’s, as she grapples with her ambition to become an actor, desire to find genuine connection, expectations from her motherhood, in the span of one sunny day in Calcutta.

After graduating in Business studies, Suraj shifted to a career in the development sector and has worked with several non-profits across India. He is committed to telling human-centered stories and building advocacy media for socio-developmental issues. His documentary work has been featured in publications like BBC, The Wire and Deutsche Welle.

His project follows a teenager in the streets of mumbai while exploring complex themes of ambition, friendship and home against the backdrop of a fast changing city.

Swanand Kottewar is a filmmaker, who has studied mass media from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. His interests lies in exploring of image, space, narrative, and the possibilities offered by cinematic expressions.

His film is about the unfolding in the lives of a newly married couple, who have a genetic blood disorder called Thalassemia.

Purnima is a Storyteller from Bokaro, Jharkhand. She has worked on various non-fiction films and a docu-series as Video Producer. With a deep interest in understanding the indigenous culture and beliefs, she wishes to explore and document the ancient folklores.

Shadab Farooq is a filmmaker and a performance artist.

His Project is based on a unique village in Jammu and Kashmir which is known to be the world's only deaf and mute village.

Shikher Pal, is an independent filmmaker, who recently passed out of FTII, Pune with Cinematography specialization.

Interested in discovering newer ways of self-expression through the lens, his project "No Road to my Home" explores the aftermath of a traumatic experience of debt trap on a young tribal family from the remote interiors of rural Maharashtra

Bio Notes:

I am an independent short-film director, cinematographer, and photographer. I earned my master's degree from the Department of Media and Communication Studies, majoring in "Video Production" at Savitribai Phule Pune University. I have directed and shot, a short film titled "Bhutacha Mala," based on the writings of the legendary Ambedkarite poet Annabhau Sathe. I have also worked on various short films and a feature film titled "Gana Gondhal. My academic interests revolve around the study of media, culture, and caste politics.

About the Film:

Currently, I am documenting the life of a Philatelist based in Mumbai, a retired PWD worker turned passionate philatelist. My documentary will explore his remarkable journey through the world of postage stamps. With over 5 lakh rare stamps and picture postcards, his collection is a testament to his dedication to preserving history and culture, portraying him as a custodian of visual history. The film aims to celebrate his legacy, showcasing stamps not just as collectibles but as gateways to our shared past. It also aims to highlight the impact of individuals in preserving rich cultural heritage.

Bio Notes:

Akshit Sangomla is a science journalist, who writes mostly about climate change, biodiversity, astronomy and technology. He currently works as a correspondent with the Down To Earth magazine in New Delhi. He has travelled extensively throughout India, both rural and urban, and has reported on changing climatic patterns and their impact on food and water security of communities and also their livelihoods and local ecology. He has also covered 3 UNFCCC Conferences of Parties for Down To Earth where he extensively reported on the policies of Climate Change Adaptation and Loss and Damage.

About the Film:

The ‘Thai Kannoothu’ grove in Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu translates to ‘mother fountain’. Every year people of the forest-dwelling tribe of Paliyar, who were displaced from their native land, travel to the remote location of the grove to call upon the deity 'Palichiyamman' who dwells in the stream at the time. This film is an amalgamation of the ecological and cultural significance of Sacred groves and the life and relation of the Paliyar community with their lost land. It explores the ideas of home, identity, development and forced migration. This film can testify to the relationship between tribal communities and their personal and spiritual relationship with the forest.

Bio Notes:

Amartya is a recent alumni of film direction from the Film and Television Institute of India. His short documentary and short fiction films have travelled to prestigious festivals like DIFF, IDSFFK, PIFF, Kala Ghoda, Changing Perspectives Turkey etc. His short, Portraits: 2020 received the Gold Fur Lotus from national PSBT challenge. Amartya is currently developing two non-fiction projects that explore the human condition in urban landscapes of Indian metropolises. He is also compiling his work as an analogue photographer into a series as well as his poetry, some of which has been published by ASAP Art (supported by Alkazi Foundation).

About the Film:

Over a diary like documentation of a modern metropolis, decades old recordings from a telephone answering machine are superimposed, telling the story of a woman running away from home.

The film will be an experiential documentation of present day Mumbai - mainly flaneur-like moments from wandering the city streets. Seen from the gaze of an immigrant not belonging to the city, juxtaposed with episodic diary like entries of a woman from a different decade the film tries to see how a city changes, how humans fundamentally do not and the contagious alienation that afflicts every metropolis of today.

Bio Notes:

Amit Rathee, a student of State Institute of Film and Television who embarked on his career in both commercial and social theatre, before transitioning to cinema. With a background rooted in the feudal and patriarchal society of Haryana, his work predominantly revolves around gender dynamics with a focus on the women's role in it.

About the Film:

Various dancers from Haryana, each with their unique style and independent identity, aspire to be recognized by society as both artists and human beings, rather than solely as dancers. Despite facing the daunting risks of violence and sexual assault, these individuals are driven by their family financial obligations and personal necessities to continue their work, albeit with limitations. This compelling documentary delves into the harsh realities of their lives, shedding light on their struggles, determination and creative resilience.

Bio Notes:

Amitoj Singh is a filmmaker, writer, poet and lyricist who is currently a Final Year student of Film Direction and Screenplay Writing at FTII, Pune. He attended Jamia Millia Islamia in New Delhi from where he holds a BA (Hons) Degree in English Literature. He is a native of the Farrukhabad District in Uttar Pradesh. Belonging from a Sikh family and growing up in small town Uttar Pradesh, he hopes to make sense of his outsider’s syndrome through the cinema that he hopes to make.

About the Film:

His project is about the death of the zardozi tradition of Farrukhabad, looked at through the lens of the demise of his father, who once unsuccessfully dwelled into the business, which could have possibly resulted in his demise. The project aims to look at the slow decay of the zardozi tradition, of his father's remnants of that tradition after his demise, of the people of the margins involved in these traditions, and of the small town of Farrukhabad.

Bio Notes:

Amoli Birewar is a researcher & producer based out of Goa. She studied mass communication at the Symbiosis Centre for Media & Communication and has been working at Untamed Planet, an award-winning production house that creates wildlife programs and documentary films for broadcast networks. She has worked on projects for National Geographic, BBC, Hyundai, Bupa and the UNEP. Currently, she is developing her first short documentary film.

About the Film:

Set in rural Maharashtra, a resilient septuagenarian yearning for financial freedom and a spirited teenager grappling with familial expectations and career aspirations form an extraordinary bond that transcends societal norms. Their journey embodies the intergenerational struggle of women for economic agency in a patriarchal society battling the challenges of climate change. With courage & camaraderie, they seek to redefine women's roles in a changing India.

Bio Notes:

Ankita Singh is a Patna-born filmmaker and a graduate of AJK-MCRC who empathizes with and thrives in the intersectionality of women, children, and marginalized voices. Intrigued by the documentation of self and lived experiences through storytelling crossing over the form and medium itself for self and societal reflection. I connect filmmaking to my childhood, where I used to return from school and recount the day's events to my sister. She used to tell me I should write, but I never took her seriously. Ten years later, you're reading my director’s bio. "I don't know what I am doing, all I know is life, people and stories."

About the Film:

A personal exploration of the past and present, as my father and I navigate his life in 1990s Bombay while exploring the city's shared spaces in present-day 2024. On this journey through time and space, we delve into the delicately woven narratives of our different lives in Bombay, revisiting the city through his eyes and memories, 30 years later. This exploration delves into the spaces that shaped our personal history—stories of lives lived and the city's evolution over time—touching on themes of nostalgia, relationships, loss, and migration with the medium serving as a central catalyst for our reflections.

Bio Notes:

Arpita Roy is an Adventure cinematographer/filmmaker and photographer who is always exploring new stories. Arpita is one of the few people in the country who works as High-Altitude cinematographer professionally.She is now working in fiction, non-fictions and advertisements, documenting high altitude mountaineering expeditions, Research projects, several other independent projects and events. Her job is to provide visuals for the directors, and she also assists Directors, cinematographers as well.She possesses the unique ability of climbing and technical mountaineering expeditions along with her camera. She is ever ready to develop her skills of filmmaking even if it requires climbing a mountain. Doing mountaineering expeditions and treks throughout the year is part of her job. They enhance her deep understanding of the mountains and upgrade her creative skills.

About the Film:

Deep in the heart of Purulia ,Tilaboni Hill, where the air is crisp and the hills stand tall, the climbing community and the indigenous community find themselves at an intersection of tradition and modernity. Drawn together by the common thread of reverence for nature, they decide to join forces. The climbing enthusiasts, seeking uncharted territories, discover the hills teeming with potential for the international climbers, while the tribal community sees an opportunity for sustainable growth without compromising their sacred land.

Bio Notes:

Debanjan Majhi is a Civil Engineer turned Film Maker, who is trained in Design education from NID Ahmedabad. Born and brought up in Kolkata, he did his graduation in Civil Engineering from KIIT University, Bhubaneswar. Post that he was working in a Defence project in New Delhi, as a site engineer. In sometime, he left his job to pursue films, and had been an assistant/associate director in a number of Bollywood and Bengali feature films, advertising shoots and documentaries (National & International). In the meantime, he directed and produced a number of short films, music videos, mini web series, docufiction films, some of which are streaming on different OTT Platforms like Prime Video, Hoichoi, etc

About the Film:

Gajon – Hymns of Nature is an immersive docufiction film that dives into the heart of the Gajon festival celebrated in a quaint village in Midnapore, West Bengal, India. The film follows the journey of six days of the Bhoktas (devotees) through the daily life, and showcasing the rituals, daring and awe-inspiring acts performed by the devotees and exploring the music that define the festivities.

Through immersive interviews with the villagers, the devotees, the documentary also explores the belief in the power of Shiva, along with the ancestral beliefs. Viewers gain insights into the lives of these community members, exploring their daily challenges, dreams, and the significance of Gajon in their cultural identity and heritage.

Bio Notes:

Jaishree Kumar is an independent journalist and documentary filmmaker based in between New Delhi and the Himalayas. Her work focuses on queer rights, hate crimes, marginalised communities and climate. Her crossborder reporting, investigations and features have found place in VICE, Nikkei Asia, Deutsche Welle, Reuters and more. Her work has also drawn praise from BBC World News, NPR and Voice of America. A former Thomson Reuters Foundation grantee, she covered news and culture for Asia and beyond for VICE and VICE World News till 2022.

About the Film:

Her current project focuses on the journey of a transgender woman in New Delhi, who is an aspiring actress and model. Shunned by society for her identity, she finds community and friendships in a shelter home for transgender people like her. The film explores themes of belonging, estrangement, violence, community, friendships and safe spaces.

Bio Notes:

Jyotirmoy is a graduate of Film Editing from Film and Television Institute of India, along with a certificate holder from New York Film Academy. He has worked in the editorial department of various Netflix and Amazon Prime projects. He is currently working on his documentary which deals with places that have heinous and disturbing histories.

About the Film:

The film deals with the emotions of the owners of a house who are faced with the consequences of a murder committed by a tenant in their complex. The family, completely unrelated to the incident, ends up being victims of the event. Once a happy and cheerful place, which houses memories of my childhood, is now tainted with blood and atrocities.

Bio Notes:

Midhun Vijayan is a video producer based out of Delhi. He has a post-graduate diploma from AJK-MCRC Jamia. He has had 5 years of experience in making non-fiction documentaries with a keen interest in climate change adaptation, and mitigation through the eyes of rural communities of India. He has received the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism (Environment & Science, Broadcast) and the Special Jury Award for Best Science Film at the India International Science Film Festival (2022). Midhun works as a Video Journalist with Down To Earth Magazine in Delhi.

About the Film:

The ‘Thai Kannoothu’ grove in Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu translates to ‘mother fountain’. Every year people of the forest-dwelling tribe of Paliyar, who were displaced from their native land, travel to the remote location of the grove to call upon the deity 'Palichiyamman' who dwells in the stream at the time. This film is an amalgamation of the ecological and cultural significance of Sacred groves and the life and relation of the Paliyar community with their lost land. It explores the ideas of home, identity, development and forced migration. This film can testify to the relationship between tribal communities and their personal and spiritual relationship with the forest.

Bio Notes:

As a director, I'm Faiq Faizan, a multimedia storyteller with 6+ years of experience. I bring a jack-of-all-trades approach, wielding video, photography, and graphic design to craft engaging content. My passion lies in capturing the human side of stories, particularly for underrepresented voices. Fueled by a Master's in scriptwriting and production, I navigate projects with seasoned expertise (except for those Adobe crashes!). When I'm not directing, you might find me exploring hidden corners or whipping up a delicious meal – a perk of mostly self-inflicted culinary adventures.

About the Film:

Our film dives into the world of Bella, a transwoman with unwavering ambition to become an actor. We'll witness her daily struggles as she navigates the complexities of the film industry, where opportunities for trans actors are often scarce. Through her journey, we'll see the challenges she faces, both internally and externally, while she fights to break down barriers and land her dream role.

Bio Notes:

Mouli Kanala is a 23-year-old filmmaker from Hyderabad, India. Right from very young age, Mouli, had decided that he loves films and will be a part of films. Towards this end he has been learning and working in building his film career. Started at a very young age of 14, he directed his first short film and later went on to direct 5 Short films and other college projects which have garnered him recognition both Nationally and Internationally. His films have travelled across the globe to various film festivals and fetched him awards domestically and internationally. He has worked on various projects at different capacities in all South Indian Film Industries. His recent short film-Doshi? (Guilty?) starring popular Telugu film actor Banerjee in the lead role, has garnered him and his team recognition across the globe for its narrative style and story. It has been screened at various International film festivals.

About the Film:

The film is an intimate documentary exploring the lives and resilient spirit of the Bene Ephraim community, a unique group of Telugu-speaking Jews in Kotha Reddy Palem, Andhra Pradesh. This film delves deep into their rich history, cultural nuances, and remarkable journey of self-discovery amidst ongoing global migrations and the International conflicts. Through personal narratives, historical reflections, and daily rituals, documentary aims showcases the community's determination to preserve their Jewish identity while integrating into local Telugu culture. The documentary illuminates themes of identity, heritage, and the quest for recognition, offering a poignant exploration of faith and community resilience against societal misconceptions. As the Bene Ephraim navigate economic challenges hindering their pilgrimage to Israel, this film becomes a compelling case study on the universal themes of migration and the pursuit of belonging. Through immersive storytelling, film aims to foster dialogue on the importance of cultural preservation and human connection in an interconnected world.

Bio Notes:

Mrudula is an independent screenwriter and an aspiring filmmaker. She is a graduate of screenplay writing from FTII, Pune, and holds a Master's degree in media and cultural studies from TISS. Over the past few years, she has been working in the Malayalam film industry, and she has also written dialogues for a bilingual movie. Additionally, Mrudula has experience in directing brand videos and campaigns. Her passion for storytelling is fuelled by a deep curiosity about understanding people and culture.

About the Film:

In the mystical ritual of Sarpam Thullal, practiced to appease snake gods and ensure family prosperity, women assume a transformative role embodying divine power through trance-like dances, influencing familial decisions. Amidst Kerala's Valluvanadu region, where this tradition endures, a filmmaker from a participating family explores its feminist underpinnings. Delving into the psychological nuances of the ritual, she engages with women from her own lineage, unraveling the enigmatic energy felt during their trance-like states, prompting profound reflections on power, tradition, and female agency.

Bio Notes:

Omish, a researcher and filmmaker at CCK, Ambedkar University Delhi, holds a master's in Urban Studies and a diploma in Direction and Cinematography. He contributes to the ‘Delhi Oral History’ project as a videographer and film editor, showing his dedication to preserving diverse narratives. He is also a freelance Assistant Director and Video Producer. His work delves into the social layers of cities in the context of Neoliberalism, reflecting on the dynamics between society, space, and memory, with a commitment to purposeful storytelling.

About the Film:

Sameer, Ayan, Akil, Arbaaz, and Nazim, all in their early 20’s, are childhood friends from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh. Amidst the vibrant chaos of Delhi's wedding season, they reveal the bittersweet tales of their life as bandwallahs. These young artists, all Muslims having barely completed their schooling, grapple with dilemmas of the profession. They are often looked at with disdain even though they are a necessary element to Delhi’s big fat weddings. The audience embarks on a journey through the ups and downs of their everydayness, highlighting the transformative power of music in their pursuit of recognition and dignity.

Bio Notes:

Omkar is a Pune-based filmmaker and cinematographer who explores themes of family, inheritance, and memories in his documentaries. Recently, he served as the cinematographer on My Grandfather’s House, a documentary by Alvina Joshi, which premiered at the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival in 2023.

About the Film:

On realizing that all that is left of his great-grandfather is a portrait, the filmmaker sets out for his hometown hoping to make sense of his fragmented family, where he will use his camera as a means to reshape their inheritance while questioning the burden that comes with caste.

Bio Notes:

Oshee is a filmmaker from Bhopal. With a background in screenwriting and documentary filmmaking, she is currently rediscovering the geography of her hometown and the state of Madhya Pradesh through books, films and theory- in learning as well as practice. Since last year she has been experimenting with analog and digital technologies. She collaborated with architects for a short documentary made as part of Nagari Short Film Competition 2023.

About the Film:

The film revolves around Bagh printing process native to the Bagh village in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh. This unique block print is a curious artefact from the past, inspired by the Bagh caves and its process dependent on the Baghini river that flows near the Buddhist caves; has been practiced by the Khatri family since four generations. The analog camera gave way to digital, cutting the dark room in its transformation. The process shifted to screens rather than remaining physical. A similar mechanising of the traditional Bagh prints is underway, slowly changing the physical process…

Bio Notes:

Sam Rao began as an Assistant Director at the Film & Television Institute, Pune, earning a National Award for Best Cinematography. Shifting to Mumbai, he explored editing before discovering his passion for direction and screenplay writing. Working closely with acclaimed cinematographer Baba Azmi, Sam took on pivotal roles in 'Mee Raqsam, ' now on Zee5 Premium, and contributed to 'Safia/Safdar. ' Sam ' s journey includes collaborations with industry luminaries like Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddin Shah. A versatile storyteller, he directs music videos on Zee Music YouTube channel. Eager to contribute to new audio-visual projects, Sam is committed to bringing visions to life.

About the Film:

In the remote landscapes of North Sikkim, "Wings of Discovery: The Butterfly Whisperer" follows Sonam Wangchuk's extraordinary journey. A self-taught photographer, Sonam's passion for nature leads him to discover a new butterfly species. As he delves deeper into this newfound passion, he transforms into an accidental lepidopterist, collaborating with scientists to document and preserve the delicate biodiversity of the region. The documentary celebrates the beauty of nature, highlighting the intersection of passion, curiosity, and conservation. Through Sonam's lens, viewers embark on a visual and emotional journey, witnessing the magic of discovery and the profound impact of one person's love for nature.

Bio Notes:

Samagata Banerjee is a gold medalist in Cinematography from Whistling Woods International, Mumbai. He transitioned from being a data scientist to filmmaking to follow his passion for the art form in 2017. He has been working as a professional cinematographer in Mumbai and has worked on several documentaries, feature films, web shows, ads and short sketches since then. His diploma short documentary got selected in the Pune short film festival 2020. His major interest as a cinematographer lies in bringing out the dream-like in the mundane. This is his first attempt at making a personal documentary.

About the Film:

‘Aahlaad’ is an intimate mosaic of my conversations with my mother shot during my home visits to Kolkata from Mumbai over a period of 5 years since 2019 - a period when my mother transitioned from being an active school teacher to a retired housewife. The film tries to portray a subjective experience of our expression of love for each other, which hasn't really changed since a much younger age, while delving deeper into our lives and familial relationships.

Bio Notes:

Sanchay Bose, a native of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, pursued a career as a freelance editor in Mumbai. He has been involved in a diverse range of projects, including web series, feature films, and documentaries. In 2021, Sanchay was the recipient of a film grant from the Charles Correa Foundation's Nagari Film Competition. He emerged as the winner of the Best Film award for his short film, Taal Betaal. His debut editorial feature film, 'Kayo kayo colour?,' premiered at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, 2023 (IFFR). Currently based in Jabalpur, he focuses on documenting the city and its people embracing a more intimate approach to the craft.

About the Film:

Upon returning to my hometown, I felt a newfound curiosity about my maternal grandmother. Her daily routines seem to hold within them a wealth of untold family history, especially from the era of Partition. I want to reconnect and start learning about her life, hoping to deepen our bond. Delving into her experiences, I seek to uncover the influence she had on our family's dynamics, shaped by the currents of history and society.

Bio Notes:

Santa Nibedita is a filmmaker and grassroots practitioner based out of Bhoura, India. She has engaged for six years with around 20,000 marginalized women farmers across themes of livelihood, gender, and natural resource management. Driven by collaborative storytelling, she supports communities in building their own narratives through various visual mediums. She has also worked in various capacities for various national and international film festivals as a programmer and screener. She is a recipient of Creature Conserve Mentor and The Red Door (TRD) – CREA Fellowship.

About the Film:

A tiffin seller from a small town in rural India goes on a quest to find the last remnants of his film that he directed 10 years ago. In the small town of Ajaigarh, a man named Awdhesh sells tiffin for a living. He supports his wife and children by doing different menial jobs, but his heart lies elsewhere. Fascinated by the world of cinema, he decided he would become an actor and act in his own directed films. With few resources and his own personal financial investment, he made the film and screened it at various open grounds and villages, only to be mired in legal issues that led to the seizure of all his props and film copies. A decade later, he has adapted to a new life, burned by his own passion. But deep in his heart, there is this undying urge to know the final fate of his film.

Bio Notes:

Sarthak is a recent graduate from FTII in electronic cinematography and an engineering graduate from BITS Pilani, where he discovered his love for photography by shooting music concerts and documenting his campus life. Since film school, he has started working in the advertising world in Banglore, which has helped him discover new perspectives in storytelling. A Bengali from a small town in Madhya Pradesh, he has lived around the country throughout his life, which generated a great need to understand his cultural identity and the sense of belongingness that drives him to connect with people and know their stories.

About the Film:

A film about resilience, passion, athleticism and hockey based in Mandsaur, a small town in M.P. It’s the story of young girls, who, against all odds, and on the verge of dropping out of school have reached the international stages of the sport. This film is also about the coaches and the teachers who discovered and nurtured their talent, creating an exemplary model for increasing the education rate of the country. Somewhere in this film also lies a journey of self-discovery for the director himself, which tends to his challenges with identity and belongingness.

Bio Notes:

Shahrukh Anklesaria is a filmmaker and cinematographer currently based in Goa. His work expresses questions about space, memory and belonging.

About the Film:

This film is a meditation on landscape and the phantoms that inhabit the island of Divar, Goa. Anecdotes about community farming and folklore— weave a tapestry about the knowledge system and collective memories of the space.

Bio Notes:

Sudha Padmaja Francis is an independent filmmaker, researcher, copyeditor residing in Palakkad, Kerala, India. She has worked in editorial capacities at various organizations. She has made a short fiction and few documentary films, which have screened at several festivals in the world. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Social Anthropology at IIT Palakkad.

About the Film:

A film on K Sathyabama, a 67 year old woman from North Kerala, who took up painting to express herself freely, during Covid 19 pandemic.

Bio Notes:

Tarang, an Architecture graduate from IPSA, Gujarat, is based in Ahmedabad and freelances in regional, commercial and independent films. With a former education in Architecture, she believes that Architecture and Filmmaking share a common thread of creating immersive experiences as they deal with time, space, and human interaction. With her first non-fictional project, she aims to create narratives that deepen her understanding of human nature and experiences in relation to space.

About the Film:

As I prepare to bid farewell to the home I've known for years, each corner evokes memories of my mother. No amount of grief is enough when it comes to letting go of a person or a space. It is difficult to understand how the essence of the gone remains and how one adjusts to its absence. Like how my father and I have adjusted to this absence that we never speak about. The project explores the essence of nostalgia, the struggles of parting with a place laden with memories, and the anticipation that comes with stepping into the unknown.

Bio Notes:

Urvi, a young visual artist from Goa, completed her Bachelor's in Fine Arts at Maharaja Sayajirao University, Vadodara in 2023.Her compositions primarily feature line portraits, serving as a lens to delve into human interactions, and to observe psychological and behavioural changes amidst societal shifts.Engaging extensively in documentation, she skillfully captures diverse conversations through visual storytelling. She has exhibited her work in various exhibitions in Goa and prestigious venues like The Jehangir Art Gallery, including the 131st Annual Art Exhibition of 'The Bombay Art Society’ and the Annual Exhibition of 'The Art Society of India’.

About the Film:

Sheila, my grandmother, affectionately known as ‘Khakha’, a 70-year-old Panaji resident and widow of Dr. P. Audi, resides with my aunt and her autistic granddaughter.Born into the reputable and influential family, she navigated life with obedience and discipline.Despite securing a government job alongside her sister, she often felt deprived of life's simple pleasures, cherishing outings to fairs, movies and beaches. Fond of local gambling, 'Modko,' she refrained due to addiction fears and reputation concerns. Khakha always encourages me to embrace modernity and career pursuits.

Today, still lively and beloved, she desires to experience Modko through someone else's involvement.

Bio Notes:

Adarsh Kumar is a filmmaker and educator based in Gujarat, began his journey at Drishti Media, honing his craft through documentaries that highlight grassroots issues. Holding a Master’s degree in Media and Communication from LJ Institute of Media and Communication, he’d developed a portfolio across nonfiction and fiction as he’d served as assistant director on several Gujarati feature films, and directed short films, advertisement films for the Gujarat government along with issue-based documentaries for various non-profit organizations. Currently an academician, he brings the transformative power of the audiovisual medium into classrooms, using film as a catalyst for reflection, dialogue, and change.

About the Film:

A certified music therapist, teacher, and devoted practitioner of Hindustani classical music, Krishna Raval based in Ahmedabad transforms lives by blending music with modern psychology, turning therapy rooms and classrooms into spaces of healing, harmony, and hope. Having journeyed through her own mental health struggles, she stands as a powerful testament to the belief that music, in its purest form, is not just an art it is a force of restoration for the soul.

Bio Notes:

My name is Aditya Mungde, and I’m currently studying Direction at FTII, Pune. I’m originally from a town called Biloi in Maharashtra, though I’ve been living in Pune for the past seven years while completing master’s degrees in Physics. My passion for cinema has always been strong, though I began my creative journey through theatre. Over time, I participated in stage productions and assisted on various short films. This eventually led me to discover writing, which inspired me to start reading screenplays. Before joining FTII, I wrote and directed a self-funded short docu-fiction titled We, the Puffcorns of India.

About the Film:

The Bodyscape/Nude artist community functions somewhat beneath the surface—tight-knit and supportive, with many members using pseudonyms or artistic aliases. They lead regular lives, often keeping their creative expression hidden from society. Many have been creating for years, so what drives them to share such intimate work so boldly? Exploring their artistic process is key to uncovering the personal journeys that shape their expression. This documentary will delve into the layers of this community by focusing on three artists, each with unique backgrounds and relationships with the art form.

Bio Notes:

Akshat Jain is an adventure filmmaker who’s love for mountains shapes his storytelling. Based out of Himalayas, he has developed a passion for capturing the beauty and struggles of life in challenging environments. With formal training in filmmaking and mountaineering expertise, he creates heartfelt documentaries that celebrate resilience, nature, and cultural heritage. His films have won numerous national and International awards and continue to inspire audiences by showcasing stories of perseverance and connection in extraordinary settings. Akshat’s work reflects a deep respect for the human spirit and the majestic landscapes he calls home.

About the Film:

In the remote Himalayan villages, where poverty intertwines with deeply rooted superstitions, a mother navigates her daughter's disability amidst rituals aimed at exorcising perceived demons. Torn between her faith in divine intervention and the harsh realities of limited healthcare, she faces a journey of anguish and hope. This intimate and visually striking portrait reveals the cultural practices surrounding disability and the transformative impact of a dedicated volunteers striving to bring healing and understanding to these isolated communities.

Bio Notes:

Akshit, is a Delhi based filmmaker, who’s been documenting movements and mutinies within and at margins. Through a poetic lens,his films and video essays explore themes of resistance, identity, and resilience within communities capturing both absurdity and beauty within their struggles. Most of his work is around Protest, Poetry and Hope.

About the Film:

In Delhi's bustling street book market, a forgotten demo titled "जख्मी कलम-सिसकते नगमे / Wounded words- shattered melodies" holds shayari on lost love, marked by handwritten notes and envisioned photographs. This glimpse reveals the soul of its Aligarh-based Dalit creator, a writer navigating the paradox of artistic aspiration versus the need for popular appeal. The film traces the book's journey back to its artist, a poignant quest of a lesser-known voice seeking recognition and authentic expression.

Bio Notes:

I’m a final-year cinematography student at the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. I come from a background in journalism, having completed my undergraduate studies at Delhi University. It was during those years that I found myself drawn to images as a more natural form of expression. Born and brought up in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, with family roots in Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand, my perspective is shaped by the stories, memories, and contrasts that emerge from these different worlds. I recently shot a short film and continue to hone my craft with each new project.

About the Film:

Growing up, my father was mostly absent from my life. We never shared a home or a true relationship. He recently returned to the village where he was born and spent his childhood. He believed—and still does—that God would provide everything. This belief has shaped his entire life. At present, he is dedicating his time to building a temple and creating YouTube content, mostly about astrology, local village life, and his strong devotion to God.

This film is an attempt to understand my father and the choices he made, which have affected both of our lives.

Bio Notes:

Aryaki is a Pune-Mumbai-based director and cinematographer whose work explores themes of memory, grief, and personal transformation through a poetic, observational lens. Her films have premiered at festivals such as Alpavirama (NID), IFFB Bhubaneswar, Cut.in (TISS Mumbai), and the Madurai International Documentary and Short Film Festival. In 2024, she was selected as one of the grant winners for the Nagari Short Film Competition by the Charles Correa Foundation. Named among NFDC’s 100 Creative Minds of Tomorrow at IFFI 2024, Aryaki is an experienced documentary cinematographer, and Udgam is her first film as a director.

About the Film:

When the sudden loss of her grandfather shatters the foundation of her family, a young filmmaker turns the camera inward, documenting the quiet unraveling and reshaping of relationships, identity, and memory. Through moments of absence, unexpected tenderness, and confronting unspoken truths, the film becomes a meditation on grief—not just as an end, but as a beginning. As generations gather, drift, and reckon with the silence left behind, the documentary asks: when people disappear from our lives, how do we keep living? At its heart, this is a story about surviving grief—and the quiet strength it takes to rebuild.

Bio Notes:

Ayush Ray is an alumnus of cinematography from Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute. He primarily works as a cinematographer and collaborates with independent filmmakers and visual artists on narrative, video art and non-fiction films. He has made two short documentaries which have been screened in prestigious film festivals like IDSFFK 2024 and have won accolades at ALT EFF 2024 and Nagari Film Competition 2023. His work centers on gathering stories from diverse human experiences and preserving them through creative non-fiction cinema.

About the Film:

In a decaying household in Kolkata haunted by the legacy of Partition, three generations of a refugee family navigate love, identity, and memory—from a jailed freedom fighter’s letters to his wife, to a queer athlete’s forbidden romance unearthed on VHS tapes, to twins shaping their truth through social media reels—all entwined in a timeless search for belonging. The film stands witness to the collision of past and present in this house, revealing untold truths and a profound yearning for acceptance and connection.

Bio Notes:

Banhi, a Kolkata-born Media & Cultural Studies graduate from TISS Mumbai, is currently working as a strategist in advertising. A hopeful pessimist and an introvert, she has always found true joy and belonging in the world of films and documentaries—watching, dissecting, and breathing cinema. A science graduate turned media-professional, she always knew storytelling was her calling. Watching Wang Bing's Three Sisters sparked her love for documentaries and the beauty of the format to build perspectives and preserve truth across time. Having explored non-fiction filmmaking during her TISS coursework, she hopes to bring more such ideas to life in future.

About the Film:

Mapping how migration away from home shapes our everyday reality, sense of self & identity through the stories of two women - Suba, a Nepali migrant and mother of two currently working a house-help in Mumbai and Janice, a second-generation Chinese immigrant settled in Kolkata and running a Chinese sauce brand - and how food plays a central role in their search for belonging and familiarity. For Suba, it's her never-ending search for a Nepali brand of noodles called Preeti that she craves but is unable to find in Mumbai; for Janice, it's her dedication towards growing Pou Chong, a family business of making Indo-Chinese sauces, that has cemented her identity as a Chinese Indian.

Bio Notes:

Geetanjali (she/they) has been a journalist, social researcher and documentary filmmaker, one at a time and all at once. She has lived in three different countries and at least seven cities. Nowhere does she feel at home as much as in transit. She has a Bachelor’s in Media Studies and a Master's in Peace and Conflict Studies. Her first documentary short Jarjar Ghar (Houses of Decay) (2020) won Best Documentary Award in Pune Short Film Festival. She was a Bitchitra Collective Fellow and grantee in 2024-25 while working on her debut feature documentary which is in currently in post production. The film was showcased exclusively in DokLeipzig’s Film Market, Germany, and NFDC’s Film Bazaar, India.

About the Film:

About fifty years after her Amma's (grandmother) death, the filmmaker goes looking for her in memories, photo albums and government records, beginning a collaborative investigation into memory with her family.

Bio Notes:

Gia Singh Arora is a filmmaker, performance artist, and somatic practitioner based in Mumbai. Her interdisciplinary work moves across film, installation, and live performance, exploring themes of intimacy, emotional inheritance, and the politics of the body. With a background in Literature and Performing Arts from Ashoka University, her practice brings together personal history, experimental form, and embodied storytelling. Her work has been presented at spaces such as G5A, Soho House, Serendipity Arts Festival, and Method Gallery. She is particularly interested in hybrid nonfiction, and how personal archives, performance, and memory can be woven into new cinematic language.

About the Film:

Dream Scratched Glass is a poetic short documentary that unravels the emotional inheritance passed through three generations of women—through the body, through silence, and through yearning. After discovering nude photographs and handwritten poems belonging to her late grandmother, the filmmaker begins to piece together a hidden legacy of desire and restraint. Blending scanned objects, voice recordings, observational footage, and performance, the film becomes an excavation of love, grief, and intimacy—held not just in memory, but in flesh. As familial stories surface and dissolve, the film asks: what do we carry, and what do we dare to break free from?

Bio Notes:

Hrutika is an Independent Indian film maker working in the field of mood pieces, documentary and short films. Her journey began at the age of 13 when she took a keen interest in putting together images to create videos as a form of self-expression. Over the past decade Hrutika has released several independently produced films that include - visual poem films and mood videos, experimenting with using video art and soundscapes to skilfully translate inner feelings and moods on to the screen. After completing her diploma in animation in 2014 she worked on various independently produced music videos, ad campaigns, promotional, documentary and short films.

About the Film:

What would it be like to get closer to the idea of ‘death’? To become this fear so completely that it no longer remains? What does it mean to really lose something, someone, or myself?

This film is a journey of trying to find the right inner image and sound for my fear of change, of separation and lostness and whether bringing these formless feelings into form make any difference to how I face or feel them?

Will I ever reach an image that can come close to how I truly feel about my idea of death and through looking for the most resonating image, can I also come to terms with the fleetingness of the experience life itself?

Bio Notes:

Junaid Ahmad is an independent filmmaker and screenwriter. Born in Siwan, a small town of Bihar, migrated to Delhi for education and is now based in Mumbai to feed his soul of storyteller. He is working in the field, has written and directed short films, mini web series,music videos and digital commercials. His latest Short film “Taraas” is streaming on Apple Tv and Google Movies. He graduated from AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, before he did bachelors in Mass Media, Jamia Millia Islamia.

About the Film:

The story of Ismail Khan, a talented struggling actor working as a tailor in Mumbai for survival. Originally from Kanpur, Ismail moved to the city in 2016 to pursue acting, landing small roles and a breakthrough in The Family Man (2018). But he could not cash in on a breakthrough into greater opportunity due to a tragedy and circumstances forced him to restart.

In a city like Mumbai, there is a constant test of resilience, especially for those who do not fit Bollywood’s ideal image of a hero. To sustain himself, Ismail juggles between the men’s boutique, stitching suits and recording auditions for his part to get that one role which can change his fate. It happens more often when he sews for the known film personality and describes the emotion as unknown feelings to make an outfit for the people in the industry.

Bio Notes:

Jwala Sharma is a cinematographer and filmmaker based in Mumbai, originally from Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. He holds a postgraduate diploma in cinematography from CRAFT Film School, Delhi. Since graduating, he has worked independently across documentaries, music videos, ad films, and short films. His work includes the IFFK-selected music video 90’s Kid by FPC ANK and the documentary Mirage of Dreams, set around Asia’s largest garbage dump near the Bhiwandi slums. He has co-written a feature film with Sandeep Pandey, director of Chausar Firangi, and is currently shooting The Joke’s On Us, directed by Jyoti Jhangra.

About the Film:

Deva Tripathi, better known by his stage name Deva Aghori, was once a raging underground rapper—violent, indulgent and carefree. He once lived a life of indulgence but then he suddenly disappeared one day. He spent a few years into the cremation grounds of Ujjain —meditating and watching bodies burn. He renounced fame, women, and all worldly pleasures to live in cremation grounds, meditate, and devote himself to Shiva. Now, he lives celibate, creating music unlike anything I’ve heard. As I lived with him, I felt something I never felt with any other so-called ascetic—authenticity. Claimed by some as enlightened and dismissed by others as delusional, Deva now prepares to leave behind even his art after the 2027 Kumbh Mela.

This film explores death, renunciation, and art through Deva’s transformation, while I quietly question: is enlightenment real, or is it another story we tell to survive the weight of living? Is Deva truly beyond the world, or has he just rewritten his pain into poetry?

Title of the Film : Shore(edge of sea) (शोर) /

Bio Notes:

Manasi Anyal is a Mumbai-based assistant director with three years of industry experience. She holds a postgraduate diploma in Film, Television, and Digital Media Production from Xavier’s Institute of Communications. Her short documentary won XIC Best Social Documentary Award 2022. She has co-written an investigative piece on the 1944 Bombay Dockyard explosion. She has worked as an assistant director across mediums such as fiction films, non-fiction formats, and web series. Her recent exploration in AI won IFP’s Best Usage of AI in Film. Passionate about anthropology and history, she represents stories from different communities, cultures, and her own ancestral roots.

About the Film:

Tied together by culture, community and freedom, this film aims to weave together the stories of Telugu women from the lesser-known side of Kamathipura - also known as Mumbai’s infamous ‘red-light area’. When one side constantly questions their womanhood, the other side teaches them to own it. The film explores this duality within a single space. Through personal narratives, the film discovers a world in today’s Kamathipura and builds a personal archive from memory: a testament to a generation. On this journey, the filmmaker also aims to rediscover her own identity, connection to her community and a sense of belonging.

Bio Notes:

Manu Upadhyay is a visual artist from the small town of Rath, Uttar Pradesh. She holds a Master’s degree in Fine Art (Painting). Driven by her passion for art and storytelling, she transitioned into film and has been working as an art director for the past two years across fiction, non-fiction, and commercial projects. Her interdisciplinary approach blends visual art with filmmaking, often drawing inspiration from her own environment and lived experiences. Rooted in a traditional and culturally rich background, Manu’s work frequently explores themes of patriarchy, gender, and caste, serving as a visual diary of her surroundings and social observations.

About the Film:

In a town where tradition is law, a daughter’s vision flickers beyond its borders—where a mother’s love becomes both anchor and chain, and the fight for freedom begins with a dream too bold to name.

Bio Notes:

Milan is a filmmaker currently studying Direction at the Film and Television Institute of India. He earned his Bachelor's in Performing Arts with a focus on Dramatics from MSU, Vadodara. Growing up in an army household, he moved frequently, finding comfort in television and comics—mediums that sparked his early passion for storytelling. His work explores themes of identity, love, and more recently, alienation. Milan strives to tell stories that linger, just as the ones he grew up loving shaped him.

About the Film:

“Beauty of becoming” follows Nikita Porwal, Miss India 2024, as she prepares for the upcoming Miss World competition. Through the perspective of a long standing friendship, We take away the glamor of the pageantry to explore all those unseen battles of self doubts, societal expectations and the sacrifices to reach the summit. It’s not just about a crown holder but a woman trying to stay rooted, while chasing something most only dream of.

Bio Notes:

Neha Negi is a filmmaker with roots in the Himalayas, whose visual storytelling spans documentary, fiction, and advertising. She began her journey in the camera department, later working as an Assistant Director on eight films and web series, and as a DA on over 100 commercials. Her storytelling is shaped by a deep awareness of lived experience, marked by empathy, grounded perspective, and visual nuance. She now writes and directs, focusing on stories of everyday resilience and ethical complexity.With the power of storytelling, her work seeks to amplify voices from the margins, weaving the personal and political with care and cinematic sensitivity.

About the Film:

Set in the hill city of Shimla, this documentary follows young migrants from Himalayan villages in Himachal Pradesh as they prepare for government exams through a quiet, disciplined practice called "sitting dena". Amid repeated failures and rising unemployment, these young people forge ethically meaningful lives through acts of care, community, and resilience. Many become voluntary blood donors, using their bodies as a way to reimagine social relations and ethically attune more attentively towards others. Through intimate portraits, the film captures the ethical experiments and emotional lives of youth navigating uncertainty in a rapidly transforming Himalayan region.

Bio Notes:

Dr. Nilanjana Sen is an ethnographer whose research focuses on youth, migration, and ethical life in contemporary India. With over four years of fieldwork in Shimla, she has closely studied the emotional lives of rural migrants, often accompanying them between the city and their home villages. Her deep engagement with the everyday lives of marginalised youth brings valuable insight and intimacy to her storytelling. In her directorial debut, Nilanjana blends ethnographic insight with cinematic storytelling, exploring themes of youth agency, resilience, and social transformation in rapidly changing regions.

About the Film:

Set in the hill city of Shimla, this documentary follows young migrants from Himalayan villages in Himachal Pradesh as they prepare for government exams through a quiet, disciplined practice called sitting dena. Amid repeated failures and rising unemployment, these young people forge ethically meaningful lives through acts of care, community, and resilience. Many become voluntary blood donors, using their bodies as a way to reimagine social relations and ethically attune more attentively towards others. Through intimate portraits, the film captures the ethical experiments and emotional lives of youth navigating uncertainty in a rapidly transforming Himalayan region.

Logline: Set in Shimla, this film explores the lives of Himalayan youth who, through preparing for government exams and donating blood, turn the act of waiting into an ethical practice of resilience and care.

Bio Notes:

Shweta is a writer-director, who truly believes that the films we make have the power to change the world. She recently wrote and directed a science-fiction pilot for Netflix and Film Companion’s Take Ten program. A graduate of SCMC, Shweta began her career as a creative associate at Supari Studios, working with Netflix and Prime Video on several titles. Now at Revolio Media, she works on non-fiction content, aiming to platform the stories of Indian Sportswomen at @thesportswomenindia. She loves to make stories rooted in the worlds she grew up in, in an attempt to understand them.

About the Film:

When a sudden hearing loss reshapes her world, a young filmmaker sets out to explore the changing soundscape of her life—uncovering new ways of listening, connecting, and being in a world that no longer sounds the same.

Bio Notes:

Raghav Munjaal, a writer-director originally from the border town of Sri Ganganagar, is a screenwriting graduate from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). With roots in theatre as a playwright and actor, he transitioned to filmmaking, working as a writer-director in advertising while assisting on short films and web series. A Screenwriting Fellow for the Rewrite Residency Lab and part of multiple writers' rooms, Raghav won IFP's 50-Hour Music Challenge in 2022 for writing the song "Supne Sagar." He has several feature films and web series in development, with "Show Business," which he wrote and directed, being his latest short film project.

About the Film:

In the neon-lit chaos of the legendary Maut ka Kuan (Well of Death), a young woman from an abusive household defies both gravity and her past.

Bio Notes:

Salman Javeed is an independent filmmaker and photographer. A graduate of the Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology, he has worked in the non-fiction space for the past five years, traveling across the country to make films and collaborate with researchers, farmers, indigenous communities, and more. His documentary A Flaming Forest won the Best Depiction of Climate Change award at Film SouthAsia in Nepal, 2024. He continues to develop his non-fiction practice, currently exploring new contexts of urban narratives and experimental filmmaking.

About the Film:

In flood-prone Chennai, a community of passionate weather bloggers, citizen scientists trusted for their rain forecasts, grapple with the growing weight of public trust as their fascination turns into responsibility. Set against the backdrop of climate anxiety and urbanisation, the film will trace their fascination through sensory explorations of weather and humanity’s evolving relationship with the environment.

Bio Notes:

Samiksha Mathur is a Mumbai-based filmmaker and producer whose work explores the intersections of gender, culture, and technology. A graduate of the Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute (SRFTI) and Lady Shri Ram College for Women, she brings a sharp, contemporary lens to stories rooted in social realities. Her debut documentary Hello Guyzz! (2023), spotlighting a small-town woman's digital life and self-expression, was widely acclaimed and screened at festivals including DIFF, Film South Asia, and IFFK. With a growing body of work, Samiksha is fast emerging as a distinct voice in the documentary landscape.

About the Film:

In the heart of Mumbai, a humble beauty parlour becomes an unexpected sanctuary for women from all walks of life. More than a space for beauty, it's a refuge where stories are shared, bonds are built, and quiet acts of rebellion unfold. As caste, class, and city lines blur within its walls, the parlour becomes a microcosm of female resilience—a place where marginalized voices find strength, young women find freedom, and everyday rituals turn into moments of empowerment. This intimate, slice-of-life film celebrates the quiet power of community, and the beauty of finding belonging in the most ordinary spaces.

Bio Notes:

Siddhi is a budding filmmaker, photographer and theatre artist. With a background in political science and master’s in filmmaking from Jamia, she is currently working as a video producer for a feminist organization and has been working closely with Studio Safdar in Delhi, documenting their work. She has worked with organizations like UNICEF, Sangath, The Wire and Kutumb Foundation in the past. As an artist she wishes to make intimate films about big issues and explore themes such as the politics of private spaces, invisible power structures within families and relationships and of course, the idea of love.

About the Film:

Our idea is to document how children operate in the Muslim ghetto of Jamia Nagar, navigating cramped architecture with no public parks or playgrounds. Creatively adapting to the available spaces, they invent new rules to keep their games (and childhood) alive.

A story exploring themes of identity, childhood and the politics of space.

Bio Notes:

Sudarshan Hake is an independent filmmaker and editor from Marathwada, Maharashtra, and a 2019 Film Editing graduate from FTII. After his family migrated to Pune, his struggle to understand the city and its people led him to express himself through theatre, and later, through films. He believes that exploring human relationships through art makes life more meaningful. Sudarshan edited the award-winning documentary KHEE, screened at Nature inFocus, WCFF 2021, and DIFF. His work includes A Filmmaker Called Painter, Mandola, Malakkava, and A Request by the Shepherds, blending emotional depth with technical finesse in every story he shapes.

About the Film:

This documentary film tells the story of a young man caught between a nomadic past and an urban present. Once part of a shepherding family, his life changed after migration to Pune fractured their roots. Through personal memories, family conflict, and fading traditions, the film explores themes of identity, loss, and the meaning of home. As he retraces his grandfather’s path across the parched lands of his childhood, he grapples with a question many face today: is home the soil we leave behind or the echoes of love, loss, and longing we carry with us?

Bio Notes:

Hailing from Kerala, Sufiyan is an aspiring filmmaker with a multidisciplinary background in engineering, animation, and media. He recently completed his Master’s in Mass Communication from Jamia Millia Islamia. Currently, he works as a freelance director, cinematographer, and animator, experimenting with various formats and styles while continually honing his visual storytelling skills. He has had the opportunity to collaborate with organizations such as UNICEF India, The Wire, and Netflix.

About the Film:

Our idea is to document how children operate in the Muslim ghetto of Jamia Nagar, navigating cramped architecture with no public parks or playgrounds. Creatively adapting to the available spaces, they invent new rules to keep their games (and childhood) alive. A story exploring themes of identity, childhood and the politics of space.

Bio Notes:

I grew up in Mumbai and began my creative journey studying fashion communication at NIFT (National Institute of Fashion Technology), Mumbai. My passion for visual storytelling led me to work on AD films before pursuing a master’s in film and video communication at NID (National Institute of Design) Ahmedabad, where I explored every aspect of filmmaking-from writing, directing, producing, sound recording to editing, sound design and cinematography. As a filmmaker, I focus on feminist themes and untold stories, creating films that spark meaningful conversations and inspire change. For me, filmmaking is about crafting statements that resonate far beyond the screen.

About the Film:

Logline: In Kerala, a state praised for its progress, Crimson Echoes uncovers a silent crisis - menstrual waste. The documentary explores the intersection of gender equity, sustainability, and environmental justice, breaking taboos and demanding systemic change.

Bio Notes:

Ugyal Tshering Lama Yolmo is an emerging documentary filmmaker and researcher from the Eastern Himalayas with a PhD in Mass Communication and a deep interest in stories rooted in place, identity, and lived experience. With academic training in media and a personal connection to the region, my work explores themes of memory, coexistence, and cultural nuance. Blending visual storytelling with research-driven narratives, my projects aim to bring attention to everyday realities often overlooked. As a beginner director, I feel that I can approach filmmaking with sensitivity, authenticity, and a commitment to representing the voices of the communities I belong to and work with.

About the Film:

Growing up in the Eastern Himalayas, I never thought twice about temples, churches, and monasteries standing side by side, shared by people of different faiths. It was just how things were. But when friends from other parts of India pointed out how rare this coexistence is, I realized these spaces held deeper stories. Through a visual exploration of sites like Mahakal Dara in Darjeeling and the Mary Mother of God Church in Kalimpong, this documentary uncovers the layered histories, lived experiences, and everyday interactions that shape interfaith harmony in a region where borders—both physical and cultural—constantly shift.

Bio Notes:

Uttkarsh Parmar is a freelance director, assistant director, and editor with extensive experience in Gujarati cinema and theatre. He has worked on notable films like *Chhello Divas*, *Karsandas Pay and Use*, *Shu Thayu?*, and *Naadi Dosh*. A B.Com graduate and plant enthusiast, Uttkarsh recently edited *Dr. B.R. Ambedkar – Now and Then*, a documentary that premiered at DIFF 2024.

About the Film:

Amid the preparations for my older brother's wedding, my mother and father reflect on their marriage, their life together, and the trauma they've endured. From adolescence to today, they contemplate love, loss, and resilience.

Bio Notes:

Uzair is a filmmaker and photographer based in New Delhi. A graduate of AJK MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia, his work spans short fiction films and documentaries, news stories, and documentary photography. He has collaborated with organizations like UNICEF, META, and the UN, exploring themes of religion, politics, migration, and human experiences. Over the years, Uzair has traveled across India, engaging with diverse communities and observing lives shaped by movement and resilience. These journeys inform his perspective as a storyteller. His work blurs the line between observation and expression, crafting intimate, visually rich narratives grounded in lived realities.

About the Film:

Set against the backdrop of a restless city, this film traces the quiet resilience of those who dream between survival and self-expression. Through the everyday life of Ismail Khan, a tailor by necessity, an actor by heart, we glimpse the rhythm of lives shaped by auditions, side jobs, rising rents, and shrinking time. In the narrow rooms, crowded trains, and dim casting calls of Mumbai, we meet not just one man, but many artists navigating uncertainty, holding on to their passion in a city that asks for everything, yet offers little in return.

Bio Notes:

Sana Salim is a nonfiction ethnographic filmmaker from Thrissur, Kerala who is currently pursuing her degree in Bachelor of Design from NID, Ahmedabad. Her body of work reflects on the intersections of identity, feminism, women’s agency, and community livelihoods as she actively collaborates with grassroot organisations.

About the Film:

The film ebbs and flows between the personal intricacies and political nuances of being a Muslim Woman in India. While the hijab becomes central in the political realm, the film attempts to lift the veil on the deeper questions of agency surrounding the absence or presence of it. The film attempts to trace the relationships that put an almost invisible pressure on the individual, muddying up the waters of choice further.