Tomorrow, the three-day Sheharnama festival of documentary films begins in Juhu. This will be followed by the Mumbai International Film Festival of short and documentary films, from February 3, at the NCPA. Both town and western suburbs will benefit from these screenings of films that are not just meaningful but aesthetically excellent as well.

One might wonder how relevant documentaries — or, to put it better, non-fiction films — are in an age of relentless entertainment. But, as was borne out at a recent panel discussion on the genre, organised in the city by Women in Film and Television (India) with the US Consulate, it is a thriving field. With only one problem — a lack of venues for screening.