All We Imagine As Light made history in 2024 by winning the Grand Prix (the second-highest honour) at the Cannes Film Festival. It was the first time an Indian film had made it that far. But could you name which film even went to the festival this year? Only two films could make the cut: Shadows of the Moonless Nights (directed by Mehar Malhotra, a student at FTII, Pune), in the La Cinef competition; and then, Amma Ariyan (directed by John Abraham), a 1986 Malayalam newly restored in 4K in the Cannes Classics section. 

The names of celebrities and influencers who went to the event, on the other hand, come to mind easily. Alia Bhatt stuns in Tamara Ralph and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan — who is now dubbed the queen of Cannes — shows up in Amit Aggarwal. Why is it that the celeb appearances, and the designers who dress them, are more memorable at film festivals than the films? And are film festivals even relevant to filmmakers anymore?