MAMI Mumbai Film Festival Unveils 2024 Official Lineup

The MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, one of Asia’s most esteemed cinematic events, returns for its 2024 edition from October 19-24 with an exciting lineup. This six-day celebration of global cinema, creativity, and culture will feature over 110 films from more than 45 countries, showcasing works in 50+ languages, various lengths, and a wide range of genres as part of its Official Selection.

Building on the success of last year’s inaugural South Asia Competition, the Main Competition section continues to spotlight the strongest voices in independent filmmaking from South Asia and its diaspora. Expanding on the popular ‘India Gold’ category, this section attracts top talent from across the region, featuring 11 films this year: seven from South Asia and its diaspora, and four from India. The line-up spans fiction, documentary, animation, and both internationally co-produced and independent productions. Notably, five of the competing directors are women, and the majority of the films are South Asian premieres, including World, Asia, and India premieres. Two of the entries are official Oscar submissions from their respective countries.

The Focus South Asia section includes films of all lengths, with short films grouped into packages. Non-competitive feature films in this category offer a diverse range of storytelling, including two films about South Asian themes by non-South Asian directors. This eclectic selection delves into a wide spectrum of experiences, from intimate personal stories to postmodern explorations of superstardom, making it a compelling showcase of the South Asian experience.

The World Cinema section will feature some of the most acclaimed films of the year. Highlights include The Room Next Door by Pedro Almodóvar, Emilia Pérez by Jacques Audiard, The Substance by Coralie Fargeat, A Different Man by Aaron Schimberg, Cloud by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Harvest by Athina Rachel Tsangari, Suspended Time by Olivier Assayas, Rumours by Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson & Galen Johnson, April by Dea Kulumbegashvili, and Universal Language by Matthew Rankin.

The festival will open its doors across the city to thousands of cinema enthusiasts, showcasing a selection of the finest films from around the globe. The 2024 MAMI lineup features winners of prestigious international honors, including the Caméra d’Or and Jury Prize from the Cannes Film Festival, Silver Bear winners from the Berlin International Film Festival, the Audience Award winner from the Sundance Film Festival, as well as the Golden Lion and Jury Prize winners from the Venice International Film Festival.

MAMI will also present the official submissions for the 2024 Academy Awards from countries such as Argentina, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland, Japan, Nepal, Norway, and the United Kingdom.

Stay tuned for more films and announcements.

Complete Lineup of MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2024

South Asia Competition

The Main Competition section of the festival highlights groundbreaking contemporary films from South Asia and its diaspora. Featuring films in 10 languages across 12 countries, this competition reflects the festival’s commitment to discovering emerging talent while celebrating the innovative and transformative potential of cinema.

1. Agent of Happiness by Arun Bhattarai, Dorottya Zurbó
   Genre: Documentary | Runtime: 1h 34m | Language: Nepali, Dzongkha, English | Bhutan, Hungary | South Asia Premiere
2. Girls Will Be Girls by Shuchi Talati
   Genre: Romance/Comedy | Runtime: 1h 59m | Language: English, Hindi | France, India, Norway | South Asia Premiere
3. Kiss Wagon by Midhun Murali
   Genre: Drama | Runtime: 2h 53m | Language: Malayalam | India | South Asia Premiere
4. Little Jaffna by Lawrence Valin
   Genre: War/Drama | Runtime: 21 mins | Language: French, Tamil | France | Asia Premiere
5. Nocturnes by Anirban Dutta, Anupama Srinivasan
   Genre: Documentary | Runtime: 1h 23m | Language: English, Hindi, Bugun | India, USA | South Asia Premiere
6. Pooja, Sir by Deepak Rauniyar
   Genre: Crime/Thriller | Runtime: 1h 58m | Language: Hindi, Maithili, Nepali | Nepal, Norway, USA | Asia Premiere
7. Rhythm of a Flower (Phool Ka Chand) by Amit Dutta
   Language: Hindi | India | World Premiere
8. Santosh by Sandhya Suri
   Genre: Thriller/Drama | Runtime: 2h 8m | Language: Hindi | UK, Germany, France, India | South Asia Premiere
9. Shambhala by Min Bahadur Bham
   Genre: Drama | Runtime: 2h 30m | Language: Tibetan, Nepali | Nepal, France, Norway, Hong Kong, Turkey, Taiwan, USA | India Premiere
10. The Fable by Raam Reddy
    Genre: Drama | Runtime: 1h 59m | Language: English, Hindi | India, USA | Asia Premiere
11. Village Rockstars 2 by Rima Das
    Genre: Drama | Runtime: 1h 48m | Language: Assamese | India | South Asia Premiere

Focus South Asia

MAMI’s non-competitive section showcases feature and short films by South Asian and South Asian diaspora filmmakers, highlighting the richness of narratives and styles from the region. The MAMI 2024 lineup, featuring 10 feature films and 13 shorts across various languages, underscores the festival’s dedication to presenting diverse and thought-provoking cinema.

Features:

1. A Fly on the Wall by Nilesh Maniyar, Shonali Bose
   English | India, USA | South Asia Premiere
2. Angammal by Vipin Radhakrishnan
   Tamil | India | World Premiere
3. Boong by Lakshmipriya Devi
   Manipuri | India | Asia Premiere
4. Humans in the Loop by Aranya Sahay
   Hindi, Kurukh | India | World Premiere
5. In Retreat (Be-qayaam) by Maisam Ali
   Hindi, Ladakhi | India | South Asia Premiere
6. Marching in the Dark by Kinshuk Surjan
   Marathi | Belgium, India, Netherlands | South Asia Premiere
7. The Real Superstar by Cédric Dupire
   Hindi | France | Asia Premiere
8. The Shameless by Konstantin Bojanov
   Hindi | Switzerland, Bulgaria, France, Taiwan, India | Asia Premiere
9. The Sharp Edge of Peace by Roya Sadat
   Arabic, English, Farsi, Pashto | Afghanistan, Belgium, Qatar, United Kingdom, USA | Asia Premiere
10. Wild Flower Garland (Katu Pootha Malay) by Udayraj P.J.
    Tulu | India | Asia Premiere

Non-features:

1. Am I the Skinniest Person You’ve Ever Seen? by Eisha Marjara
   English | Canada | International Premiere
2. Blind Spot (Chashma) by Nitin Baid
   Hindi | India | World Premiere
3. Bunnyhood by Mansi Maheshwari
   English | UK | Asia Premiere
4. Claws and Teeth by Srujan Belli
   Kannada | India | World Premiere
5. Comrade Poopy by M Anonymous
   Burmese | Myanmar | India Premiere
6. Cry Me A River by Suman Sen
   Mandarin, Taiwanese | India, Taiwan | India Premiere
7. Free as a Bird by Aditya Khude
   Hindi | India | World Premiere
8. Holy Curse by Snigdha Kapoor
   English, Hindi | India, USA | Asia Premiere
9. In Flanders Fields (Flanders Di Zameen Vich) by Sachin
   Hindi, Nepali, Punjabi, Urdu | Belgium, India | India Premiere
10. Monsoon Walk by Avinash Arun Dhaware
    Marathi | India | Asia Premiere
11. Skyward (Gagan Gaman) by Suruchi Sharma
    Dhundhari, Hindi, Rajasthani | France, India, USA | World Premiere
12. The Gap (Le Gap) by Keerthigan Sivakumar
    French, Tamil | Switzerland | Asia Premiere
13. Tracker (Taak) by Udit Khurana
    Hindi | India | World Premiere

Gala Premieres

This out-of-competition section features a selection of Indian films with ensemble casts that include well-known actors. It highlights works from both emerging and established talent. The specially curated MAMI 2024 lineup includes Despatch by Kanu Behl (starring Manoj Bajpayee, Shahana Goswami), Ghamasaan by Tigmanshu Dhulia (starring Arshad Warsi, Pratik Gandhi), Go Noni Go by Sonal Dabral (starring Dimple Kapadia, Manav Kaul), the anthology My Melbourne directed by Kabir Khan, Imtiaz Ali, Onir, Rima Das, and The Ancient (Puratawn) by Suman Ghosh (starring Sharmila Tagore, Rituparna Sengupta, and Indraneil Sengupta).

1. Despatch by Kanu Behl (Genre: Drama | Language: Hindi | Runtime: 2h 2min)
2. Ghamasaan by Tigmanshu Dhulia
3. Go Noni Go by Sonal Dabral
4. My Melbourne by Kabir Khan, Imtiaz Ali, Onir, Rima Das
5. The Ancient (Puratawn) by Suman Ghosh

World Cinema

Since its inception in 1997, the World Cinema section has been a cornerstone of the festival, offering a sweeping selection of the most ambitious and accomplished films from around the world. This segment also includes Rendezvous with French Cinema, a collaboration with the Institut Français en Inde, showcasing the best of contemporary French filmmaking. Additionally, select films have been brought to Mumbai with the support of the British Council, the Consulate General of Ireland, the Embassy of Spain, the German Consulate General in Mumbai, the Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Mumbai, and the Royal Norwegian Consulate General.

1. A Different Man by Aaron Schimberg
2. A Traveler’s Needs (Yeohaengjaui Pilyo) by Hong Sangsoo
3. April by Dea Kulumbegashvili
4. An Unfinished Film by Lou Ye
5. An Urban Allegory (Allégorie citadine) by Alice Rohrwacher and JR
6. Armand by Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel
7. Blue Sun Palace by Constance Tsang
8. Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point by Tyler Taormina
9. Cloud by Kiyoshi Kurosawa
10. Diciannove by Giovanni Tortorici
11. Dying (Sterben) by Matthias Glasner
12. Edge of Night (Gecenin Kıyısı) by Türker Süer
13. Emilia Pérez by Jacques Audiard
14. Good One by India Donaldson
15. Happyend by Neo Sora
16. Harvest by Athina Rachel Tsangari
17. It’s Not Me (C’est pas moi) by Leos Carax
18. Kill the Jockey (El Jockey) by Luis Ortega
19. Kneecap by Rich Peppiatt
20. Love (Kjaerlighet) by Dag Johan Haugerud
21. Misericordia (Miséricorde) by Alain Guiraudie
22. No Other Land by Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor
23. On Becoming a Guinea Fowl by Rungano Nyoni
24. Riefenstahl by Andres Veiel
25. Rumours by Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson
26. Russians at War by Anastasia Trofimova
27. Sasquatch Sunset by David Zellner, Nathan Zellner
28. Sex by Dag Johan Haugerud
29. sr by Lea Hartlaub
30. Suspended Time (Hors du temps) by Olivier Assayas
31. The Damned by Roberto Minervini
32. The Girl with the Needle (Pigen med nålen) by Magnus von Horn
33. The Remarkable Life of Ibelin by Benjamin Ree
34. The Room Next Door by Pedro Almodóvar
35. The Sparrow in the Chimney (Der Spatz im Kamin) by Ramon Zürcher
36. The Substance by Coralie Fargeat
37. The Village Next to Paradise by Mo Harawe
38. The Wolves Always Come at Night by Gabrielle Brady
39. Universal Language by Matthew Rankin
40. Viet and Nam by Trương Minh Quý
41. Wild Diamond (Diamant Brut) by Agathe Riedinger

Dimensions Mumbai

Dimensions Mumbai is a competitive program featuring short films by emerging filmmakers, aged 18 to 25, offering creative reflections on the city that MAMI calls home.

1. A Tale Of Two Cities by Sameeha Sabnis
2. After Twenty Years (Iruvathu Varudangal Kazhithu) by Sparsh Srivastava
3. Banata Hai by Arya Pravin Sagar, Karan Bharat Patel
4. Beyond Nothingness (Shunya Ke Paar) by Akul Kumar
5. Beyond the Horizon by Disha Pawar
6. BMCLD by Shreela Agarwal
7. Chhat by Vaidaangi Sharma
8. I Was Painted Red by Bhagyesh Rajeshirke
9. The Hamster by Vahram Adajania
10. The Jellyfish Can’t Live Without Water by Harsh Salunke
11. The Slow Train by Tanmay Gemini
12. What’s in a Name? (Naam Main Kya Rakha Hain?) by Avi Kesarwani

Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films

Introduced in 2016, this competitive section features short films that showcase exceptional storytelling from both aspiring and established directors. With a runtime of up to twenty minutes, these films are created by filmmakers from India and the Indian diaspora, engaging curious audiences.

1. A Flight of the Lost Dreamy Bird (Hare Patte Ke Rang Ki Patrangi Aur Kahin Kho Gaya Naam Ka Ladka) by Chaman Ramesh Kishan
2. Ade (On A Sunday) by Theja Rio
3. Ballad of the Mountain by Tarun Jain
4. Coming Back to Life (Et Moi, Je Revis) by Mantra Watsa
5. Leela by Tanmay Chowdhary
6. Lice (Jooyein) by Vindhya Gupta
7. Noises from the Basement by Abhay P.
8. Sombre Skies (Mekhavritham) by Manoj Ajith Panicker
9. The Fishes (Meenukal) by Achuth Giri
10. The Usher by Zubin A. Mehta
11. Aloo Bhujia by Lakshmi R. Iyer
12. The Promise by Tigmanshu Dhulia

Restored Classics

First introduced at the MAMI festival in 2012, 2024’s lineup is dedicated to honoring and preserving cinematic heritage by showcasing restored classic films from India and around the globe. This curated collection features four films, providing audiences with the chance to experience the magic of cinema’s past.

1. Burden of Dreams by Les Blank, Maureen Gosling
2. Camp de Thiaroye by Ousmane Sembène, Thierno Faty Sow
3. The Mirage (Māyā Miriga) by Nirad Mohapatra
4. The Ritual (Ghatashraddha) by Girish Kasaravalli