This year’s Dharamshala International Film Festival is showcasing the talents of female directors from across Asia and around the world. Twenty-four of the 45 feature films being presented at the November event in India will be directed by women. Festival director Ritu Sarin says she is “proud” of the strong female representation in the diverse selection of films.
The opening night film on November 7th will be “All We Imagine as Light” by Indian director Payal Kapadia. Her film secured the prestigious Grand Prix award at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. India has not had a Palme d’Or competition entry in 30 years. The closing night honors on November 10th go to “Pooja, Sir” by Nepali director Deepak Rauniyar, which recently premiered at the Venice Film Festival.
Notable international films include “Separated” by acclaimed American documentarian Errol Morris and Golden Lion winner “The Room Next Door” from Spanish master Pedro Almodóvar. From the region, “MA – Cry of Silence” from Myanmar director The Maw Naing and “Agent of Happiness” by Nepali directors Arun Bhattarai and Dorottya Zurbó will screen.
The Indian films highlight several award winners as well, such as “Girls Will Be Girls” from director Shuchi Talati, which took home the Audience Award at Sundance Film Festival. Rima Das’ “Village Rockstars 2” received the Kim Jiseok Award at the Busan International Film Festival. Achal Mishra’s world premiere film is “Chaar Phool Hain Aur Duniya Hai.”
Festival programming director Bina Paul says their selection offers “films that directly explore difficult subjects and those that allow audiences to briefly forget realities and lose themselves in different worlds.” Special events include a masterclass by acclaimed Indian director Dibakar Banerjee and a conversation with actress Shahana Goswami.
Dharamshala provides a unique backdrop for the festival as the home of the Dalai Lama since 1959. Festival co-directors Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam recently premiered their short film “State of Statelessness” at Busan. Around 100 filmmakers are expected to attend the festival and showcase independent cinema from South Asia.
