It’s Raining Women Filmmakers in MAMI This Year

Most film festivals are great in many respects. But even if they are great, few are unique. The Mumbai Film Festival this year, or MAMI as it is lovingly called, is stunning in one respect. From the 14 films in the highly coveted international competition that carries a big prize money, 6 films are from debut women filmmakers, a truly first for any decent film festival in the world.

What is surprising is that the festival organizers, caught up as they are with preparations of the festival, did not realize this till the last moment. “When I’m talking to you, I realize that one of the most unprecedented things for any festival is that in competition we have 6 debut women filmmakers vying for the many prizes,” Rashid Irani, senior film critic and a selection committee member of the festival told this correspondent. “And each one of them is such a stunning debut that you have to see it to believe it.”

True emancipation of women can occur when they occupy position of power in every department, including the arts. And having almost 50% films in the main competition by women director, is one of the greatest proof of them claiming their place in the world. And that all women directors are from different parts of the world, give proof the truly global nature of women’s empowerment in the arts.

Among these films include, Julia Leigh’s ‘Sleeping Beauty’ from Australia, ‘History Only Exists When Remembered’ by Julia Murat from Brazil/Argentina, ‘My Little Princess’ by Eva Ionesco from France, ‘The Dead Sea’ by Leena Manimekalai from India, ‘The Mirror Never Lies’ by Kamila Andini from Indonesia and ‘She Monkeys’ by Lisa Aschan from Sweden.

Mr. Srinivasan Narayanan, Festival Director, is all smiles when he is reminded this, “Last year we had an all women’s jury and this year we have women dominating the competition section. What more could we ask?”

But not content with hyperboles, the film lover does ask for more. Shyam Benegal, the Chairman of MAMI (Mumbai Academy of Moving Images), the organizers of Mumbai Film Festival, confirms that the viewers this year will have more than they bargained for. “This is by far the best festival we have had under MAMI so far and the best in the country.”

He explains, “The quality of any film festival should be judged by its films. This year we have an enviable line up of not only the best films made in the world last year, but also the best from the Cannes Critics Week, first films of Indian filmmakers, great first film in competition etc. There’s something in the festival for everyone – the film professionals, cinema lovers and especially the youth hungry for good cinema.”

For once, the hyperbole is the truth. When you look at the line-up, you realize what he means. Not only are there the winners from the world’s best film festivals including Cannes, Berlin, Venice etc. but the International Competition for first film has a line up that will be a thing of envy for the best film festivals in the world.

Then, of course, you have your usual suspects, the past masters who continue to blaze the trail of creativity with Lars Von Trier, Wim Winders, Gus Van Sant and Bela Tarr among others being the stars of this pack.

Seven days, 10 screens in Mumbai, 201 of the best films made last year in the world, 60 countries, and over a crore of Rupeees in prize money and best of all almost half the films in competition being by women filmmakers. Film Festivals in India indeed don’t get bigger, or better than this. 

This story was done for the wire service IANS (Indo-Asian News Service), who obviously (the cub-editors on desk) did not get it and massacred the final story.