When does MAMI bring us world cinema?

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The most anticipated event for movie-buffs across the country, MAMI screens 231 of the best and brightest of world cinema from October 18 to 25. Says festival director Srinivasan Narayanan, “I am very proud of the selection we have this year.

It is an interesting mix of award winning films and commercial hits, films by veterans as well as first time directors, indie movies and restored classics.” The festival kicks off with Silver Linings Playbook in which Anupum Kher plays a pivotal role. Part of the screening schedule this year are movies like Beasts of the Southern Wild that was recommended to Oprah Winfrey by President Obama, Gebo and the Shadow by 103 year old Portuguese director Manoel de Oliveira, On the Road, an adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s cult classic novel and more.
Among the attendees this year is Arjun Chande, an instrumentation engineer from Mumbai who admits to having an insatiable appetite for movies. “This year’s list has been really well-curated. I am looking forward to the segment that features films from Afghanistan that give a fresh glimpse of the country beyond its war-torn stories,” he said. Kabul Cards is one such documentary that showcases the city’s youth culture through the eyes of two young girls and comes highly recommended.
A slew of intellectual activities have also been organized for those who’d want to go deeper into the nitty-gritty of movie making. “Science fiction fans would really enjoy the two sessions we have with Star Wars producer Gary Kurtz – one masterclass in creative production and the other an open discussion with Anubhav Sinha, director of Ra.One, on the science fictions films from the East and the West are similar to or different from each other,” said Srinivasan. Many other eminent film personalities like critics Daniel Kothenschulte and Aruna Vasudevan, director Andy Tennant, producer Robyn Kershaw, scriptwriters Claire Dobbin and David Maggee will be participating in the various seminars and forums.
“We will pay homage to Bollywood luminaries who sadly passed away this year including Rajesh Khanna, Dhara Singh and Ashok Mehta,” said Srinivasan, “And Jaya Bachchan is conducting a masterclass in acting,” says Srinivas. But he is most excited about conferring the Lifetime Achievement Award on Waheeda Rehman and Chinese director Zhang Yimou.