Hindi
India to make major presence at Rome Film Festival
NEW DELHI: The Jury of the Cimema XXI section of the Rome Film Festival that commences tomorrow and will be on till 17 November also has an Indian filmmaker, Ashim Ahluwalia on board.
Ashim Ahluwalia came to the limelight with his debut film John & Jane that had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and later screened at the Berlin Film Festival. It was the first Indian film to be distributed by HBO Films. His first feature-length film — Miss Lovely premiered at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival, in the Un Certain Regard section.
An outsider with respect to the Bollywood cinema system, Ashim Ahluwalia is part of the new generation of Indian directors who avoid working with the stars of Hindi films.
The Jury is chaired by American director and artist Larry Clark and other members include Yuri Ancarani (Italy), Laila Pakalnina (Latvia) and Michael Wahrmann (Uruguay).
On the occasion of the 100 Years of Indian Cinema, a restored version of Kamal Swaroop’s 1988 cult classic Om Dar Ba Dar will be screened out of competition in CinemaXXI.
The two Indian films competing in the CinemaXXI section are Prantik Basu’s Makara and Kamal Swaroop’s Rangbhoomi. The Seventh Walk (Saatvin Sair) by Amit Dutta will be the closing film section.
CinemaXXI is a competitive section devoted to new trends in world cinema and focuses on works that reflect the continuous reinvention of cinema in the contemporary audiovisual landscape. CinemaXXI hosts feature-length, medium-length, and short films.
Hindi
MIFF 2026 to return to Mumbai; film entries open till April 12
19th edition to host WAVES Doc Bazaar, spotlighting global documentary talent
MUMBAI: The 19th edition of the Mumbai International Film Festival 2026 is set to take place from June 15 to 21 at the NFDC Complex, with film submissions currently open and the deadline fast approaching on April 12.
Organised by the National Film Development Corporation under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the biennial festival remains one of South Asia’s most prominent platforms for documentary, short fiction and animation films.
Filmmakers, producers and content creators from across the globe have been invited to submit entries via the Film Freeway platform for the Competition Section. Offline submissions will not be accepted, reinforcing a fully digital entry process.
MIFF 2026 continues to sweeten the deal with a robust awards pool of Rs 55 lakh. The coveted Golden Conch for Best Documentary carries a top prize of Rs 10 lakh, alongside multiple awards across categories, making it one of the most lucrative non-feature film festivals in the region.
A key highlight this year will be the second edition of the WAVES Doc Bazaar, scheduled from June 16 to 18 alongside the festival. Designed as a hub for collaboration, the Doc Bazaar will feature a co-production market, viewing rooms and a work-in-progress lab, bringing together global buyers, sellers and creators under one roof.
Since its inception in 1990, MIFF has built a reputation as a serious showcase for non-feature cinema, drawing participation from filmmakers worldwide. The previous edition saw over 350 films from more than 30 countries, underlining its growing international footprint.
With submissions closing soon and preparations underway, MIFF 2026 is shaping up to be a vibrant meeting point for storytelling, collaboration and cinematic craft, offering filmmakers both a stage and a springboard.
