New Delhi: Renowned Film, television and media personality Dr. Sandeep Marwah President of Marwah Studios inaugurated the 16th edition of the IAWRT Asian Women’s Film Festival from March 5 to March 7 in New Delhi.
Fifty-one films from 15 Asian countries, all directed by women filmmakers, will be screened at the festival includes films from Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, China, Doha, Iran, India, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, Myanmar, Taiwan, UAE and Turkey.
“Held every year in the run up to the International Women’s Day on March 8 by IAWRT, in partnership with the India International Centre (IIC) and ICMEI- International Chamber of Media And Entertainment Industry-Marwah Studios, this non-competitive film festival has become a much sought after women-director-only festival in this region over the last 16 years,” said Nupur Basu, Managing Trustee, IAWRT, Chapter India.
“What a pleasure to be here with the most successful film makers and their creative works from all over the World. This festival is a glorious function during Women’s Day Week. I purpose radio and TV interviews of all the film makers present here on Radio Noida 107.4 Fm and MSTV so that many more should know about your achievements,” said Dr. Sandeep Marwah while lighting the ceremonial lamp.
This year the festival team received over 700 submissions. The selection pans the entire genre – feature length documentary films, short fiction and documentary films, animation films, experimental films and the themes range from citizenship, identity, migration, mental health, climate change and coming of age of girls,
“ What women are looking at is not gender alone but there is a distinct cinematic language that many women filmmakers are defining that allows for the audience to see afresh” said Surabhi Sharma Festival Director and Priya Thuvassery, the Co-Director of this edition of the festival.
This year’s BAFTA winner for Best Short animated Film by London based Iranian filmmaker, Maryam Mohajer ‘Grandad was a romantic’ was shown at the inauguration.