Get set for a reel bonanza with two film festivals

Tales from Asian citiesAe Dil Hai Mushkil Jeena Yahan Zara Hatke Zara Bachke Yeh Hai Bambai Meri JaanThese lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri on Mumbai have resonated with generations of music lovers No wonder then cinema being the mirror of the society is able to look at how cities have canvassed stories dreams and aspirations of its dwellers As a prelude to the 13th Mumbai International Film Festival Citizen Rights Collective an initiative of Action Aid is organising a festival titled Sheharnama A City Film FestivalA still from the film WastedThe festival will put the spotlight on waste management people who work as house helps labourers in metro constructions and much more The film fest will screen several documentaries and short films from various Indian cities such as Delhi Kolkata Madurai Darjeeling Ahmedabad Hyderabad and Benares The lineup includes films like Anirban Duttarsquos Wasted confronting the audience with images treatment and philosophy on waste Voice of the People by S Sukhdev and Night Hawks by Uma Tanuku among others spanning various time periods and stylesFor Mumbaites Mira Nairrsquos classic India Cabaret will offer insights into the debatable topic of bar dancers along with Tata Institute of Social Sciences film Breakinrsquo MumbaiSurabhi Sharma a filmmaker and cocurator of the festival shares ldquoThese films are able to push the conventional ways of looking at cinema The genres selected are free of any baggage thrust by the market so their narratives are filled with new ideas and imagination But this is not to say that fiction films are not able to do the same but frankly these films require an independent platform to reach the audiencerdquoFrom January 30 to February 1At Mayorrsquos Hall All India Institute of Local Self Governance Juhu Galli Andheri W log on to SheharnamawordpresscomMust watch films at Sheharnamagtgt Portraits of Belonging mdash Bhai Mian by Sameera Jaingtgt Wasted by Anirban Duttagtgt India Cabaret by Mira Nairgtgt Prakash Travelling Cinema by Megha Lakhanigtgt Voice of the People by S Sukhdev gtgt Night Hawks by Uma TanukuWorld cinema comes to Navi MumbaiFilm festivals in Navi Mumbai have mostly been associated with college festivals but all that is going to change from now with the Navi Mumbai International Film Festival NMIFF that is making its debut on January 31 in NerulWith reputed names like French filmmaker Marc Baschet who made the Oscarwinning film No Manrsquos Land writerdirector Imtiaz Hussain Astitva and Parinda and actress Rohini Hattangadi on the jury list the festival promises quality cinema to film lovers in the satellite cityAwardwinning film Titanic Love will be screened at NMIFFFilmmaker Sachin Khanna founder of the festival and a resident of CBD Belapur says that the main idea behind the festival was to put Navi Mumbai on the international map ldquoWe launched the festival in August 2013 and called for entries mainly through social media We received a total of 300 films from 35 countries and eventually have selected 40 best films from them which include short films and documentaries The films are categorised into students professional and feature filmsrdquo adds KhannaThere are 10 films in the student category from countries like India Australia Germany and United Kingdom and the rest includes professional short films documentaries and feature films from Ukraine Brazil Italy US and Kazakhstan besides IndiaThe residents of Navi Mumbai are abuzz with the news of the festival Archana Pania a Vashi resident and RJ says ldquoNavi Mumbai always seemed to be getting a stepmotherly treatment despite its close proximity to Mumbai and if anyone wanted to catch a film festival they would have to head to Colaba or someplace else in South Mumbai Itrsquos great that Navi Mumbai is having a film festival of its ownrdquoThe festival will felicitate actor Sachin Pilgaonkar for completing 50 years in Indian CinemaHarald by Moritz Schneider andChitrapatangFrom January 31 to February 2 10 am onwardsat DY Patil Auditorium Sector 7 Nerul Log on to wwwnmiffinMust watch films at NMIFFgtgt Harald by Moritz Schneider Germanygtgt PM Postmortem by Balasaheb Gore and Arun Newaskar Indiagtgt Chitrapatanga by Pramod Shelar Indiagtgt thakitatha by Philipp Holl Germanygtgt Titanic Love by Mark Pressdee UK