| Opening film | All We Imagine as Light by Payal Kapadia |
|---|---|
| Closing film | Anora by Sean Baker |
| Location | Mumbai, India |
| Awards | Golden Gateway Award: Rhythm of a Flower by Amit Dutta |
| Directors | Shivendra Singh Dungarpur |
| Artistic director | Deepti Dcunha |
| Festival date | Opening: 19 October 2024 Closing: 24 October 2024 |
| Website | www |
The MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2024 took place between 19 and 24 October 2024 in Mumbai, India. [1] It was the first edition of the festival under interim festival director Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, following the departure of Anupama Chopra from the festival director position. It was also the first edition of the festival since 2014 to not have a title sponsor. [2]
As with the 2023 edition of the festival, the main competition of the festival was limited to filmmakers from South Asia (except Pakistan) and the South Asian diaspora. [3] Netherlands-based film director, lecturer, and film programmer Rada Šešić was named the Head of Jury for this South Asia Competition. [4]
Over 110 films from over 45 countries were screened during this edition of the festival, for which PVR INOX and Regal Cinema continued to serve as screening venue partners. [1]
The animation film Rhythm of a Flower by Amit Dutta won the Golden Gateway Award at the festival, while the documentary Nocturnes by Anirban Dutta and Anupama Srinivasan won the Silver Gateway Award. [5]
The 2023 edition of the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival ("Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2023") was the first in-person edition of the festival since 2019, as the festival had to go on hiatus from 2020 onwards due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as what were described by MAMI as 'logistical and financial challenges'. [6]
The 2024 edition of the festival was announced in May 2024 as a six-day event to be held in October that year. [7] Due to the lack of a title sponsor, the festival's scope was drastically downsized from the previous edition, from over 250 films being screened in 2023 to over 110 films being screened in 2024. Furthermore, the number of festival venues was reduced to three - Soho House Mumbai and PVR Dynamix Mall in Juhu, and Regal Cinema in Colaba. Of these venues, only the latter two were accessible to general delegates. [8]
In an open letter to supporters and delegates of the festival published in October 2024, the MAMI team acknowledged the smaller scale of the festival and described the year as a 'period of transition' during which the organisation has no title sponsor. The letter also clarified that the number of registrations had been capped in order to give every delegate 'a fair chance' to watch the films at the festival. [2]
Delegate registration for the festival began on 6 October 2024, via the festival's long-standing registration partner BookMyShow. [9]
The following juries were constituted for this edition of the festival: [10]
This jury awarded the Golden Gateway Award and Silver Gateway Award in the South Asia Competition, as well as the Special Jury Prize.
This jury awarded the Dimensions Mumbai Gold and Dimensions Mumbai Silver awards.
This jury awarded the Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films for Best Film award as well as the associated Special Jury Prize.
This jury awarded the NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) award to a film from the South Asia Competition section.
This jury awarded the Film Critics Guild Gender Sensitivity Award to one South Asian film that 'questions gender norms and challenges stereotypes'.
This jury awarded the Best Book on Cinema Award, which celebrates 'unique perspectives and nuanced, immersive film writing on cinema'. [11]
The shortlist of nominees for this award included non-fiction books by Amitava Nag, Sanjoy Patnaik, Mukesh Manjunath, and Shoma A. Chatterji.
The MAMI Mumbai Film Festival 2024 was organised into the following sections: [8]
Additionally, in the Tribute section, the festival screened the 1984 Hindi film Tarang, paying homage to the film's director Kumar Shahani, who passed away in February 2024. This screening was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Indian film scholar Ashish Rajadhyaksha. [12]
As part of celebrating the career of Shabana Azmi alongside granting her the Excellence in Cinema award, the festival hosted a masterclass in conversation with Indian actor Vidya Balan, with the intention of offering insight into Azmi's 50 year long career. The festival also held a special screening of the 1982 Hindi film Arth, one of Azmi's most well-known films. [13]
Apart from these sections and special screenings, the festival screened All We Imagine as Light by Payal Kapadia as the opening film on 18 October, and Anora by Sean Baker as the closing film on 24 October.
Although the documentaries Russians at War and No Other Land were selected for the festival programme under the World Cinema section, their screenings were cancelled as the festival did not receive 'the required permissions' in time. [14]