CIFF 2025 returns: Chandigarh international film festival starts March 20

WHEN Cinevesture hosted its first international film festival in Chandigarh (CIFF) in 2024, many wondered at the choice of the city. But, for founder and CEO Nina Lath, it was always an ‘attractive proposition’. “The key stakeholders in the film business are the audiences. And Chandigarh, with its large number of students, defence personnel, etc, has a huge diversity from across the country. Apart from Delhi and Mumbai, the only other cities in which distributors release films in every language and from across the world are Bangalore, Hyderabad and Chandigarh.”

Lath, former MD, National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), was the brains behind the Film Bazaar. Launched at the International Film Festival of India, Goa, in 2007, it is now South Asia’s biggest film co-production market.

For the inaugural edition last year, Lath and a team of seasoned professionals, including former head of the National Films Division of India VS Kundu, National Award-winning film editor Bina Paul and film critic and market projects curator Namrata Joshi, selected award-winning international features (24), Indian films in regional languages (17) and a variety of shorts (27), children’s films and classics.

The festival hosted prominent film personalities, including Karan Johar, Boman Irani, Sudhir Mishra, Shekhar Kapur and Richa Chadha. Cinephiles, aspiring filmmakers and actors, who came from Jammu, Himachal, Delhi and other far-off places, were elated at the upskilling opportunities, as the event had a number of workshops and masterclasses by industry experts on various aspects of filmmaking.

For Bhaskar Hazarika, co-writer for Abbas Mastan’s ‘Players’ and several web series, including ‘Class’ (Netflix), what made the CIFF special was its market. “For the first time in North India, we had a film festival that had a market attached to it. Even if you do not have a screening, at least you could put a project in the market for funding,” says the filmmaker, whose Assamese debut film ‘Kothanodi’ (The River of Fables) won the National Award (2016). His thriller film ‘Jack’ was one of the 20 projects that were part of the CIFF’s market.

Despite an over-burgeoning film festival market, Atika Chohan, who has co-written ‘Waiting’, ‘Guilty’, ‘Agra’ and ‘Chhapaak’, is happy at the addition. “A single platform provides multiple benefits — such a festival introduces us to films otherwise unavailable, forms networks that can help in many ways like getting international co-productions. Also, the more markets we have, the better it is, especially for alternate voices,” says the former journalist.

CIFF was a learning experience in many more ways, she feels. “Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal, who found a way to make ‘Girls Should Be Girls’ away from the studio system, shared their process of searching for the right grants for filmmakers and how to apply,” says the talented screenwriter. Her project ‘Husky’ drew the attention of some competent filmmakers last year who were keen to come on board as directors or producers.

Nihaarika Negi is an award-winning interdisciplinary artist and filmmaker whose project ‘Feral’ was among the curated market projects. For her, a festival such as CIFF was exciting. “Because it opens up the possibilities for new stories and fresh voices from different regions that have been underexposed, to emerge and find support.” For many filmmakers, the quality of the festival’s intimacy helped in engaging directly and deeply with other filmmakers and producers, feels Negi.

Young theatre actor from Punjab Anmol Sidhu, whose much-acclaimed ‘Jaggi’ won the best Indian film at CIFF last year, feels indebted to such festivals for the recognition he got. “I had to crowd-fund ‘Jaggi’ as no producer wanted to invest in such a subject. (A schoolboy in rural Punjab deals with impotence, accusations of being gay and the subsequent bullying). But once the film made it to the festival circuit, it not only won many international honours, I was also able to get a mentor like Anurag Kashyap.” He is shooting his third film now, which will be announced soon.

The second edition of CinéV Market (March 20-23) will have 22 projects by established names like Vikramaditya Motwane, Hansal Mehta and Honey Trehan. Trehan’s project ‘Blade Runner’, which portrays the story of India’s first blade runner, war hero DP Singh, is based in Punjab.

Trehan says film festivals are important even for established filmmakers like him. “Festivals not only help you take your story forward, but ensure positive feedback and great results. For everyone, there are only gains and nothing to lose. Even the experience of being in the market itself is eye-opening at times, and I’m excited to explore it,” says the casting director-turned-producer-director, who made his directorial debut with ‘Raat Akeli Hai’.

Of the 22 curated films, Nandita Das’ ‘Avi & Smi’ is among the 12 women-oriented projects. Other noted names include Radhika Apte and Kani Kusruti.

Das feels such festivals are a great platform to bring together filmmakers, patrons and film lovers. “Whether you are a veteran or a newcomer, festivals provide a space for possible collaborations, free-flowing interactions, and, of course, to watch films and meet those behind the scenes.”

She is excited to bring the script of her fourth film to the CIFF, an intimate story about a recently separated couple. “I am looking for a passionate financier who will trust my vision and ability to translate the script into a film that is relevant to our times. Only together we can change the landscape of the kind of films we want to make and watch.”

Noted filmmaker Hansal Mehta, known for his sensitive films like ‘Shahid’, ‘Aligarh’, and the recent ‘The Buckingham Murders’ and OTT series like ‘Scoop’ and ‘Scam’, has come on board as one of the producers of ‘Hanere De Panchhi’, another market project. Apte and Motwane have teamed up for ‘Koyta’ (Sickle), with Apte directing and the latter producing this Hindi-Marathi venture. The lineup also includes Punjabi filmmaker Ajitpal Singh’s next feature, ‘Marx and Lenin’.

CIFF has tied up with the Indian Film Festival, Los Angeles, this year. It will provide a platform to South Asian filmmakers to connect directly with Hollywood producers. Other additions are a works lab, cine vault and an investor-producer workshop .

The line-up

The second edition of the Cinevesture International Film Festival (CIFF) will have 15 award-winning features, including Cannes and Oscar winner ‘Emilia Perez’, ‘The Girl with the Needle’ (Oscar-nominated), ‘Little Jaffna’ and ‘Shambala’. Korean award-winning feature ‘A Normal Family’ will be the opening film.

The India Unveiled category will showcase 17 films like Dibakar Banerjee’s ‘Tees’, Tigmanshu Dhulia’s ‘Ghamasaan’, ‘Little Thomas’ starring Gulshan Devaiah and Rasika Dugal, Haryanvi film ‘Kaansya’, two Punjabi debut films set in Chandigarh: Zubin Mehta’s ‘Bus No. 7’ and Ankur Singla’s ‘Ghichpich’.

The festival will pay tribute to Shyam Benegal by showcasing ‘Manthan’, ‘Mammo’ and ‘Suraj Ka Satvan Ghoda’.

There will be special screenings of French documentary ‘The Eden of La Ciotat’, and Punjabi film ‘The Cycle’ by Arpita Mukherjee.

Venue: Cinepolis, Sector 17, Chandigarh