Once again we have the golden opportunity to meet filmmaking fraternity of different kind and exchange notes thanks to the forth coming Mumbai International Film Festival (M.I.F.F). M.I.F.F is a film festival with a mission and a vision. It’s an undeniable fact that M.I.F.F single handedly created and nurtured meaningful documentary and short film movement in the country.

In the last eighteen years since its inception M.I.F.F has brought many a mind-blowing film to the festival and had ignited the creative spark in the prospective filmmakers of the country. M.I.F.F also showcases quintessential India to the visiting filmmakers from all over the world and in a sense it has taken the role of a cultural ambassador.

M.I.F.F is unique and pathbreaking in many ways;

It’s probably the only festival that is being conducted by filmmakers

It’s one of the very first festival s that accepted video formats and gave them parity with celluloid, thus democratising the filmmaking process

It’s the only festival that incorporates animation films.

It’s a festival that honours past masters by having retrospectives in a big way.

All this M.I.F.F achieved, only with the overwhelming support given by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting of Government Of India, Government of Maharashtra, organizations like IDPA and of course the cineastes of our country.

Every art is concerned, to some extent, that a feeling of reality be conveyed to its audience. Cinema is foremost in this respect. Cinema gets enhanced not only by the creative genius of the filmmaker but also by critical minded audiences. A branch of film theory has said that films don’t really exists until they are received, enacted and embodied by an audience. India is lucky to have very matured and knowledgeable filmgoers

This edition of M.I.F.F too follows the tradition of having only the best cinematic works realized in the last two years around the world.

And it has many more interesting features too.

The celebration of the cerebral cinema is about to begin. Let’s get entertained, enlightened and energized by the weeklong show of very best films.

See you all at NCPA.

KULDEEP SINHA

Chief Producer, Films Division & DIRECTOR, M.I.F.F & 2008