Film festivals around the world have been quick to adapt to the pandemic and transition to create online events. Arunachal Film Festival follows suit with a two-day digital festival, packed with film screenings, workshops and a panel discussion. Several films by filmmakers from Arunachal Pradesh are also competing in the Open Category to win State film awards.
The Special Screenings category will present a curated selection of award-winning fiction and non-fiction films from around the world.
Here is a brief glimpse into some of the films that should not be missed –
ALL THAT PERISHES AT THE EDGE OF LAND (short documentary), directed by Hira Nabi, has been showcased at Sundance Film Festival, Palm Spring ShortFest and AFI Docs 2020. The film is a fascinating imagined conversation between a ship berthed at Gadani, and the shipbreakers coming from all over Pakistan to break it.
VOICES FROM THE BARRENS (feature documentary), directed by Nancy Ghertner, takes us into the fields with First People from the Mi’kmaq and Maliseet (Wolastoqiyik) tribes, who cross the US-Canada Border to participate in the traditional wild blueberry harvest every August.
THE WELL (short fiction), directed by Neal Dhand, is a magical story of young Stefan who comes to believe that an abandoned well can help his comatose sister.
KAALA (short fiction), directed by Tarun Jain, tells an uncomfortable tale of racism, inspired by true events.
BOXED (feature documentary), directed by Sameeksha and Sumit Raina, looks at the idea of gender as something more than a binary, and how people who don’t conform to the norms are pushed to margins.
Arunachal Film Festival 2020 is taking place online on Dec 27-28, 2020. All films will be available to watch around the globe, free of cost, until December 29th.
You can access all events and screenings by registering on the festival website :
https://arunachalfilmfestival.com/signup
Written by:
Surbhi Dewan
Independent Media Professional
