Film Festival showcases work of women filmmakers from Asia

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 8

The 19th edition of the Asian Women’s Film Festival (AWFF), organised by the India chapter of the International Association of Women in Radio and Television (IAWRT) at India International Centre to showcase films directed by women filmmakers of the Asian origin, has been receiving a resounding response.

The festival, from March 7 to 9, is being held annually to mark Women’s Day. It exhibits over 60 films from 20 countries, all directed by women filmmakers of the Asian origin. The diverse line-up includes feature films, documentaries, short fiction, animation, student films and experimental works, with a special focus on short fiction films from Iran.

The festival also paid homage to the filmmaker Chandita Mukherjee with a screening of her impactful film, “Totanama.” Based on the 13th century text ‘Tuti-Nama’ by Zia-ud-din-Nakshabi, the film is a set of three short stories narrated by a parrot blended into each other. The film highlights issues of women’s liberation and independence.

Award-winning animated feature, “The Siren” (2023), directed by Iranian filmmaker Sepideh Farsi, was also screened. The film explores the human cost of war and its lasting impact on generations.

Speaking to The Tribune, festival director Bina Paul said, “The idea of the festival was to showcase the work of women filmmakers from Asia. Iranian filmmakers are making good movies and the festival is showcasing their work. Moreover, the festival has received an amazing response. We have great discussions and screenings of films.”

Managing trustee, IAWRT Chapter India, Aradhana Kohli, said, “As all Indian festivals, the AWFF is a celebration of creativity, films, exhibitions, discussions and workshops, allowing media aspirants to share space with master filmmakers. Highly acclaimed filmmakers from all over the world and a well-informed audience come together spontaneously to deliberate on the art and craft of filmmaking.”

Some of the highlighted works at the festival include Palestinian director Mai Masri’s 2001 documentary “Frontiers of Dreams and Fears”, Indian filmmaker Sreemoyee Singh’s “And, Towards Happy Alleys” (2023), South Korean director Shin Su-won’s “Hommage” (2021) and Turkish filmmakers Ekin Ilkbag and Idil Akkusn’s “Duet” (2022).

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