Yahoo Lifestyle ‘Emilia Perez,’ Korean Hit ‘A Normal Family’ Headline India’s Cinevesture Film Festival (EXCLUSIVE)
The Cinevesture International Film Festival (CIFF) has revealed a diverse lineup for its second edition, set to run March 20-23 in Chandigarh, India, featuring notable Oscar winners and nominees alongside celebrated regional cinema.
Jacques Audiard’s Oscar-winning “Emilia Perez”headlines the World Canvas section, alongside Magnus von Horn’s Oscar-nominated Danish drama “The Girl with the Needle.”
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The festival will open with the India premiere of Korean feature “A Normal Family,” directed by Hur Jin-ho, which first bowed at the Toronto International Film Festival. A special screening of the Punjabi short film “The Cycle” by Arpita Mukherjee will accompany the opening night festivities.
For its sophomore outing, CIFF has assembled a lineup featuring 15 international features in its World Canvas section and 17 titles in the India Unveiled category, with additional special screenings and student films rounding out the program.
The Indian selection features several significant titles by renowned filmmakers, including Dibakar Banerjee’s “Tees,” Vetrimaaran’s “Viduthalai Part 2,” Tigmanshu Dhulia’s “Ghamasaan,” and Raam Reddy’s Berlinale film “The Fable.” Notably, Ankur Singla’s Punjabi film “Fathers & Sons” will have its world premiere at the festival, while Kaushal Oza’s “Little Thomas,” starring Gulshan Devaiah and Rasika Dugal, will make its India premiere.
International highlights include “Brief History of a Family” from China, Mati Diop’s “Dahomey,” Lawrence Valin’s “Little Jaffna,” George Sikharulidze’s “Panopticon,” and Yeo Siew Hua’s “Stranger Eyes,” representing a globally diverse selection of contemporary cinema.
The festival will pay special tribute to late Indian filmmaker Shyam Benegal with screenings of three of his celebrated works: “Manthan,” “Mammo,” and “The Seventh Horse of The Sun / Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda.”
Regional cinema gets special focus in this year’s selection, with Haryanvi film “Bronzed (Kaansya)” directed by Aditya Watts joining two Punjabi debut films set in Chandigarh – Zubin Mehta’s “Bus No. 7” and the aforementioned “Fathers & Sons” – highlighting the festival’s commitment to showcasing local filmmaking talent.
“The festival will showcase an eclectic mix of celebrated international films, regional Indian cinema, and hidden local gems from Haryana & Punjab to immerse the viewers in a wide range of cinematic experiences,” said festival director V.S. Kundu. “We welcome you to experience the special magic of cinema possible only in community viewing on a big screen.”
Bina Paul, CIFF’s artistic director, added: “The people of Chandigarh are in for a treat with many famous films, many small gems, regional Indian cinema, and films from Haryana and Punjab hitherto unseen. The films have something for the hardcore cineaste as well as the person who is discovering cinema.”
Complete Festival Lineup
World Canvas
“A Normal Family / Bo-tong-ui ga-jog” (Hur Jin-ho, South Korea) – India Premiere
“Brief History of a Family / Jia ting jian shi” (Jianjie Lin, China/France/Denmark/Qatar)
“Crickets, It’s Your Turn” (Olga Korotko, Kazakhstan/France)
“Dahomey” (Mati Diop, France/Senegal/Benin/Singapore)
“Emilia Pérez” (Jacques Audiard, France/Belgium)
“Happyend” (Neo Sora, Japan)
“Little Jaffna” (Lawrence Valin, France)
“My Favorite Cake / Keyke Mahboobe Man” (Maryam Moghadam, Behtash Sanaie Ha, Iran/France/Sweden/Germany)
“My Sunshine / Boku no Ohisama” (Hiroshi Okuyama, Japan/France)
“Panopticon” (George Sikharulidze, Georgia/France/Italy/Romania)
“Shambhala” (Min Bahadur Bham, Nepal)
“Stranger Eyes / Mò shì lù” (Yeo Siew Hua, Singapore/Taiwan/France/United States)
“The Girl with the Needle / Pigen med nålen” (Magnus von Horn, Denmark/Poland/Sweden)
“The Queen of my Dreams / Me, My Mom & Sharmila” (Fawzia Mirza, Canada)
“Waves / Vlny” (Jirí Mádl, Czech Republic/Slovakia)
India Unveiled
“A Boy Who Dreamt of Electricity” (Jigar Nagda)
“A Fly on the Wall” (Nilesh Maniyar, Shonali Bose)
“Angammal” (Vipin Radhakrishnan)
“Bronzed / Kaansya” (Aditya Watts)
“Bus No. 7” (Zubin Mehta)
“Fathers and Sons / Ghichpich” (Ankur Singla) – World Premiere
“Ghamasaan” (Tigmanshu Dhulia)
“Humans in the Loop” (Aranya Sahay)
“Little Thomas” (Kaushal Oza) – India Premiere
“Now & Forever / Ennennum” (Shalini Ushadevi)
“Rhythm of Dammam” (Jayan Cherian)
“Schirkoa: In Lies We Trust” (Ishan Shukla)
“Second Chance” (Subhadra Mahajan)
“Tees” (Dibakar Banerjee)
“The Fable” (Raam Reddy)
“The Tiger / Raavsaheb” (Nikhil Mahajan)
“Viduthalai Part 2” (Vetrimaaran)
Special Screenings
“The Eden of La Ciotat” (Alain Bergala, France)
“The Cycle” (Arpita Mukherjee, India)
Homage to Shyam Benegal
“Mammo” (1994)
“Manthan / The Churning” (1976)
“The Seventh Horse of The Sun / Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda” (1992)
Student Films from SUPVA
“Family Invitation / Chulha Nyond” (Aman Punia)
“Dawn / Bhor” (Prateek Singh)
“Baar” (Amit Dhanda)
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