MAMI Mumbai Film Festival announces the 2024 Official Film Selections

The MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, one of Asia's most prestigious cinematic events, returns for its 2024 edition (19-24 October). This six-day celebration of global cinema, creativity, community, and culture will showcase 110+ films from over 45 countries—spanning 50+ languages, lengths and genres—as part of the Official Selection.

Building on the success of last year’s inaugural South Asia Competition, the Main Competition section continues to highlight the strongest voices among independent filmmakers from South Asia and its diaspora. The expanded vision of the erstwhile ‘India Gold’, already very popular among independent filmmakers in the country, continues to successfully attract some of the best talent from across the region to compete with their feature films. This year’s competition comprises 11 features with a wonderful representation of seven South Asian and diaspora films, alongside four Indian features. The line-up has a mix of fiction, documentary and animation as well as internationally co-produced films and independent sole productions. Five of the competing directors are women, and most of the films are South Asian Premieres, with a line-up that includes World, Asia, and India Premieres. Two of the competing films are official Oscar submissions from their respective countries.

The Focus South Asia section includes films of all lengths, with the non-features grouped into packages. The non-competitive feature films in this section offer a diverse and dynamic array of storytelling, including two films on South Asian themes by non-South Asian directors. The eclectic selection explores a broad spectrum of unique and demanding experiences, from a deeply personal narrative to a postmodern take on superstardom, making this section a rich exploration of the South Asian experience.

The World Cinema section will showcase some of the most celebrated films of the year. Among the big-ticket films are The Room Next Door by Pedro Almodóvar, Emilia Pérez by Jacques Audiard, The Substance by Coralie Fargeat, A Different Man by Aaron Schimberg, Cloud by Kiyoshi Kurosawa, Harvest by Athina Rachel Tsangari, Suspended Time by Olivier Assayas, Rumours by Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson & Galen Johnson, April by Dea Kulumbegashvili, and Universal Language by Matthew Rankin.

The festival will open screens across the city to thousands of cinema lovers, offering a selection of some of the best films from around the world. The lineup includes winners of prestigious international awards, such as the Caméra d'Or and Jury Prize winners from the Cannes Film Festival, the Silver Bear winners from the Berlin International Film Festival, the Audience Award winner from the Sundance Film Festival, the Golden Lion and Jury Prize winners from the Venice International Film Festival.

MAMI will also screen the official submissions to the 2024 Academy Awards (aka the Oscars) from countries like Argentina, Canada, Denmark, France, Ireland, Japan, Nepal, Norway and the United Kingdom.

Stay tuned for more films and announcements.

FILMS AT MAMI MUMBAI FILM FESTIVAL 2024

SOUTH ASIA COMPETITION

This is the main competition section of the festival. The section aims to showcase breakthrough contemporary South Asian and South Asian diaspora films of the year.

With films representing 10 languages and 12 countries, the competition exemplifies the festival's dedication to discovering new talent while championing the innovative and transformative power of cinema.

Agent of Happiness by Arun Bhattarai, Dorottya Zurbó
Nepali, Dzongkha, English | Bhutan, Hungary | South Asia Premiere

Girls Will Be Girls by Shuchi Talati
English, Hindi | France, India, Norway | South Asia Premiere

Kiss Wagon by Midhun Murali
Malayalam | India | South Asia Premiere

Little Jaffna by Lawrence Valin
French, Tamil | France | Asia Premiere

Nocturnes by Anirban Dutta, Anupama Srinivasan
English, Hindi, Bugun | India, USA | South Asia Premiere

Pooja, Sir by Deepak Rauniyar
Hindi, Maithili, Nepali | Nepal, Norway, USA | Asia Premiere

Rhythm of a Flower (Phool Ka Chand) by Amit Dutta
Hindi | India | World Premiere

Santosh by Sandhya Suri
Hindi | UK, Germany, France, India | South Asia Premiere

Shambhala by Min Bahadur Bham
Tibetan, Nepali | Nepal, France, Norway, Hong Kong, Turkey, Taiwan, USA | India Premiere

The Fable by Raam Reddy
English, Hindi | India, USA | Asia Premiere

Village Rockstars 2 by Rima Das
Assamese | India | South Asia Premiere

FOCUS SOUTH ASIA

MAMI’s non-competitive section of feature and short films by South Asian and South Asian diaspora filmmakers spotlights talent from the region highlighting the wealth of narratives and styles.

The lineup, comprising 10 features and 13 non-features, spans multiple languages and reflects the festival’s commitment to diverse, thought-provoking cinema.

Features

A Fly on the Wall by Nilesh Maniyar, Shonali Bose
English | India, USA | South Asia Premiere

Angammal by Vipin Radhakrishnan
Tamil | India | World Premiere

Boong by Lakshmipriya Devi
Manipuri | India | Asia Premiere

Humans in the Loop by Aranya Sahay
Hindi, Kurukh | India | World Premiere

In Retreat (Be-qayaam) by Maisam Ali
Hindi, Ladakhi | India | South Asia Premiere

Marching in the Dark by Kinshuk Surjan
Marathi | Belgium, India, Netherlands | South Asia Premiere

The Real Superstar by Cédric Dupire
Hindi | France | Asia Premiere

The Shameless by Konstantin Bojanov
Hindi | Switzerland, Bulgaria, France, Taiwan, India | Asia Premiere

The Sharp Edge of Peace by Roya Sadat
Arabic, English, Farsi, Pashto | Afghanistan, Belgium, Qatar, United Kingdom, USA | Asia Premiere

Wild Flower Garland (Katu Pootha Malay) by Udayraj P.J.
Tulu | India | Asia Premiere

Non-features

Am I the Skinniest Person You've Ever Seen? by Eisha Marjara
English | Canada | International Premiere

Blind Spot (Chashma) by Nitin Baid
Hindi | India | World Premiere

Bunnyhood by Mansi Maheshwari
English | UK | Asia Premiere

Claws and Teeth by Srujan Belli
Kannada | India | World Premiere

Comrade Poopy by M Anonymous
Burmese | Myanmar | India Premiere

Cry Me A River by Suman Sen
Mandarin, Taiwanese | India, Taiwan | India Premiere

Free as a Bird by Aditya Khude
Hindi | India | World Premiere

Holy Curse by Snigdha Kapoor
English, Hindi | India, USA | Asia Premiere

In Flanders Fields (Flanders Di Zameen Vich) by Sachin
Hindi, Nepali, Punjabi, Urdu | Belgium, India | India Premiere

Monsoon Walk by Avinash Arun Dhaware
Marathi | India | Asia Premiere

Skyward (Gagan Gaman) by Suruchi Sharma
Dhundhari, Hindi, Rajasthani | France, India, USA | World Premiere

The Gap (Le Gap) by Keerthigan Sivakumar
French, Tamil | Switzerland | Asia Premiere

Tracker (Taak) by Udit Khurana
Hindi | India | World Premiere

GALA PREMIERES

An out-of-competition section that presents a selection of Indian films with popular names in their ensemble cast. It showcases works from upcoming as well as established talent.

This specially curated out-of-competition comprises Despatch by Kanu Behl (starring Manoj Bajpayee, Shahana Goswami), Ghamasaan by Tigmanshu Dhulia (starring Arshad Warsi, Pratik Gandhi), Go Noni Go by Sonal Dabral (starring Dimple Kapadia, Manav Kaul), the anthology My Melbourne directed by Kabir Khan, Imtiaz Ali, Onir, Rima Das, and The Ancient (Puratawn) by Suman Ghosh (starring Sharmila Tagore, Rituparna Sengupta and Indraneil Sengupta).

Despatch by Kanu Behl
Ghamasaan by Tigmanshu Dhulia
Go Noni Go by Sonal Dabral
My Melbourne by Kabir Khan, Imtiaz Ali, Onir, Rima Das
The Ancient (Puratawn) by Suman Ghosh
 

WORLD CINEMA

The World Cinema section has been an integral part of the festival since its inception in 1997. This segment offers a panoramic view of the most ambitious and accomplished new films from around the globe.

This section also includes ‘Rendezvous with French Cinema’, showcasing some of the finest in contemporary French filmmaking, in collaboration with the Institut Français en Inde. Additionally, select films have been brought to Mumbai through the generous support of the British Council, the Consulate General of Ireland, the Embassy of Spain, the German Consulate General in Mumbai, the Istituto Italiano di Cultura in Mumbai, and the Royal Norwegian Consulate General.

A Different Man by Aaron Schimberg
A Traveler’s Needs (Yeohaengjaui Pilyo) by Hong Sangsoo
April by Dea Kulumbegashvili
An Unfinished Film by Lou Ye
An Urban Allegory (Allégorie citadine) by Alice Rohrwacher and JR
Armand by Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel
Blue Sun Palace by Constance Tsang
Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point by Tyler Taormina
Cloud by Kiyoshi Kurosawa
Diciannove by Giovanni Tortorici
Dying (Sterben) by Matthias Glasner
Edge of Night (Gecenin Kıyısı) by Türker Süer
Emilia Pérez by Jacques Audiard
Good One by India Donaldson
Happyend by Neo Sora
Harvest by Athina Rachel Tsangari
It's Not Me (C'est pas moi) by Leos Carax
Kill the Jockey (El Jockey) by Luis Ortega
Kneecap by Rich Peppiatt
Love (Kjaerlighet) by Dag Johan Haugerud
Misericordia (Miséricorde) by Alain Guiraudie
No Other Land by Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor
On Becoming a Guinea Fowl by Rungano Nyoni
Riefenstahl by Andres Veiel
Rumours by Guy Maddin, Evan Johnson, Galen Johnson
Russians at War by Anastasia Trofimova
Sasquatch Sunset by David Zellner, Nathan Zellner
Sex by Dag Johan Haugerud
sr by Lea Hartlaub
Suspended Time (Hors du temps) by Olivier Assayas
The Damned by Roberto Minervini
The Girl with the Needle (Pigen med nålen) by Magnus von Horn
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin by Benjamin Ree
The Room Next Door by Pedro Almodóvar
The Sparrow in the Chimney (Der Spatz im Kamin) by Ramon Zürcher
The Substance by Coralie Fargeat
The Village Next to Paradise by Mo Harawe
The Wolves Always Come at Night by Gabrielle Brady
Universal Language by Matthew Rankin
Viet and Nam by Trương Minh Quý
Wild Diamond (Diamant Brut) by Agathe Riedinger
 

DIMENSIONS MUMBAI

Dimensions Mumbai is a competitive programme of short films by budding filmmakers (ages 18 to 25) presenting creative responses to the city that is home to MAMI.

A Tale Of Two Cities by Sameeha Sabnis
After Twenty Years (Iruvathu Varudangal Kazhithu) by Sparsh Srivastava
Banata Hai by Arya Pravin Sagar, Karan Bharat Patel
Beyond Nothingness (Shunya Ke Paar) by Akul Kumar
Beyond the Horizon by Disha Pawar
BMCLD by Shreela Agarwal
Chhat by Vaidaangi Sharma
I Was Painted Red by Bhagyesh Rajeshirke
The Hamster by Vahram Adajania
The Jellyfish Can't Live Without Water by Harsh Salunke
The Slow Train by Tanmay Gemini
What's in a Name? (Naam Main Kya Rakha Hain?) by Avi Kesarwani
 

ROYAL STAG BARREL SELECT LARGE SHORT FILMS

Introduced in 2016, this is a competitive section for shorts where aspiring and established directors alike bring exceptional storytelling to curious audiences. These films of up to twenty minutes are from filmmakers across India and the Indian diaspora.

A Flight of the Lost Dreamy Bird (Hare Patte Ke Rang Ki Patrangi Aur Kahin Kho Gaya Naam Ka Ladka) by Chaman Ramesh Kishan
Ade (On A Sunday) by Theja Rio
Ballad of the Mountain by Tarun Jain
Coming Back to Life (Et Moi, Je Revis) by Mantra Watsa
Leela by Tanmay Chowdhary
Lice (Jooyein) by Vindhya Gupta
Noises from the Basement by Abhay P.
Sombre Skies (Mekhavritham) by Manoj Ajith Panicker
The Fishes (Meenukal) by Achuth Giri
The Usher by Zubin A. Mehta
 

Aloo Bhujia by Lakshmi R. Iyer
The Promise by Tigmanshu Dhulia
 

RESTORED CLASSICS

This section was first featured at the festival in 2012. The festival is deeply committed to honouring and preserving the cinematic legacy and this section showcases restored classic films from India and around the world. This curated collection features 4 films and offers audiences the opportunity to relish the magic of cinema's past.

Burden of Dreams by Les Blank, Maureen Gosling
Camp de Thiaroye by Ousmane Sembène, Thierno Faty Sow
The Mirage (Māyā Miriga) by Nirad Mohapatra
The Ritual (Ghatashraddha) by Girish Kasaravalli

AWARDS AT MAMI MUMBAI FILM FESTIVAL 2024

SOUTH ASIA COMPETITION

Dedicated to showcasing breakthrough contemporary South Asian films of the year.

Golden Gateway Award: This includes a trophy and a cash prize of INR 25,00,000 to be equally shared by the director(s) & producer(s).

Silver Gateway Award: This includes a trophy and a cash prize of INR 15,00,000 to be equally shared by the director(s) & producer(s).

Special Jury Prize: This includes a trophy and a cash prize of INR 5,00,000. This is an individual prize awarded by the Jury.

Rashid Irani Young Critics Choice Award: Awarded by participants of the Rashid Irani Young Critics Lab, this includes a trophy and a cash prize of INR 2,00,000 awarded to the producer(s).

NETPAC AWARD

The Network for the Promotion of Asia Pacific Cinema (NETPAC), a globally renowned organisation with the primary aim of fostering a deeper understanding and appreciation of Asian films and their creators, was founded in 1990 by Aruna Vasudev. At MAMI, the NETPAC Award will be presented to a film from the South Asian Competition section.

DIMENSIONS MUMBAI

Showcases short films by budding filmmakers presenting creative responses to the city that is home to MAMI.

Dimensions Mumbai Gold Award: This includes a trophy and a cash prize of INR 1,00,000 for the director(s).

Dimensions Mumbai Silver Award: This includes a trophy and a cash prize of INR 50,000 for the director(s).

ROYAL STAG BARREL SELECT LARGE SHORT FILMS

Honouring the craft of select storytellers.

Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films for Best Film: This includes a trophy and a cash prize of INR 1,00,000 for the director(s).

Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films for Best Actor: This includes a trophy and a cash prize of INR 75,000 for the actor.

Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films for Best Innovation in Tech

Film Critics Guild Gender Sensitivity Award

The Film Critics Guild—an association of the country’s most credible and discerning critics—recognises and awards one South Asian film that questions gender norms and challenges stereotypes.

The Best Book on Cinema Award

The award celebrates unique perspectives and nuanced, immersive film writing on cinema. The winner of the Award will receive a trophy and a cash prize of INR 2,00,000.

Rashid Irani Best Young Critic Award

Rashid Irani Best Young Critic Award honours the talent and rigour of young critical minds in writing, observing and analysing cinema. The winner will be presented with a Best Young Critic Award trophy and a certificate.

EXCELLENCE IN CINEMA AWARD

This award honours individual/s who have made outstanding, long-lasting contributions to the world of film and cinema.