The Mumbai International Film Festival focuses on short, documentary and animated films. It is considered to be one of the most important film festivals of this kind, alongside DOK Leipzig, the International Short Film Festival Oberhausen, the Krakow Film Festival, and others.
MIFF aims to provide a platform for documentary and short filmmakers from around the world, giving them the opportunity to exchange ideas and explore collaboration possibilities. The festival screens films from different countries, but special emphasis is put on Indian films because one of MIFF’s main goals is to promote Indian cinema internationally.
MIFF is a competitive film festival. An international jury comprising film industry professionals presents awards in various categories. The Mumbai International Film Festival has two competition sections, International Competition and National Competition. National Competition was established in 1998 due to a large number of submissions from Indian filmmakers.
The main award presented at MIFF is the Gold Conch. It is given to the best documentary film in International Competition. The Silver Conch awards are presented to the best short fiction film and the best animated film in International Competition, as well as to the best documentary film, the best documentary short film, the best animated film and the best short fiction film in National Competition. Besides, there is a number of special and technical awards.
Alongside competition screenings, the program of the festival includes non-competition sections (retrospectives, homages, special screenings), as well as industry events such as forums, workshops, seminars, panel discussions, an open forum, networking events, etc. Screenings and other events are open to the public, but prior registration is required.
The Mumbai International Film Festival usually features around 300 films from over 30 countries. The event is attended by Indian and international film industry professionals. Past guests have included Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Zanussi, Japanese film director and screenwriter Nagisa Oshima, Indian film actor and director Rahul Bose, American screenwriter and director Andy Tennant, and more.
Photo: miff.in
