Festival Schedule

Learn the craft of Screenwriting at an exclusive Screenwriting Workshop at HFF 2024! The participants can delve into the art of crafting compelling screenplays with noted screenwriting mentor Ashwini Malik at the workshop. Drawing from his current experience as a senior mentor of Screenwriting at Whistling Woods International, Mumbai, and previously as faculty of Screenwriting at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, this workshop will empower you to transform your stories into captivating cinema.

Supported by Niv Art Movies.

Student fee: ₹1500 | Non-student fee: ₹1800

May 4 | 9:00 am - 6:00 pm

New Delhi, the winter of 1993. A deaf mute young man is arrested by "Bureau" and accused of being a spy. A sign language expert is brought in to act as an interpreter for the Government’s agent and the “spy”. The unravelling of the mystery is the journey that sucks the sign language expert into the dark vortex of rivalry between intelligence agencies, deceit, and corruption, where the horizon line between innocence and guilt gets hazy.

The story centers on a small town entrepreneur named Maniram who makes a major profit by cheating people and selling them tainted food. His business is run by his daughter-in-law Tejo, who is married to Maniram's mentally challenged younger son. When Maniram's elder son comes back into town to get married, things start to go awry. He runs away from his wife after their marriage night and ends up being arrested in Delhi. The police, with further investigation, start to crack down on Maniram's corrupt business, as all the while Tejo starts to become mad with power and greed. Based on the short story "In the Ravine" by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov.

Set in Kalupur, a neighbourhood in the old city of Ahmedabad, India, this
slice-of-life film follows the daily life of Razzak and his family through an
observational lens.
Razzak, an unemployed father of two, endeavours to own an auto-rickshaw
for business while his daughter, Ruba, is introduced to an interesting drink
worth 100 rupees that she can't afford. Through a series of everyday events,
the film uncovers the family’s struggles, interpersonal conflicts, joys, and
ways of life as they navigate through the intertwined yet unassuming layers
of social and political influence.
The family is caught off guard as an unexpected move threatens their fate and
alters life as they know it.

The Launch of "The Swinging Seventies: Stars, Style and Substance in Hindi Cinema", jointly edited by Nirupama Kotru & Shantanu Ray Chaudhary. Published by Om Books.

Followed by a panel disussion:

A turning point, the beginning of a new wave: a conversation about Hindi cinema of the 1970s. Panellists: Avijit Ghosh, Aseem Chhabra, Gautam Chintamani, Jai Arjun Singh, Kaveree Bamzai and Uday Bhatia. In conversation with Nirupama Kotru.

A desperate man and his infant daughter fleeing a system that want them crushed at any cost, a cop giving unwilling chase, and a bereaved mother seeking ruthless vengeance, collide in a tense, breathless survival thriller across a brutal landscape of devastated forests, blind greed, rebellion, and the bloody aftershocks of ‘development’.

On a particularly rainy evening, with the city flooding, as Tatai falls sick. His now divorced parents Swarnava and Mili, come face to face for the first time after five years, post their divorce for a whole night. Amidst the backdrop of heavy rainfall, frequent power cuts, a dying refrigerator and their son running high temperature, Mili and Swarnava, go through different stages of realisation, and how a frisk incident which led to their divorce, makes them think what if things hadn’t turned the way it did. They acknowledge the pain, find closure, and release each other. But in a parallel universe of make believe surrealism, they remain together as a loving and happily married couple in the eyes of the audience.

The film is set in the late Bengali Renaissance of the 1930s and 1940s, and a group of young intellectuals and revolutionaries involved with the Indian independence movement. It deals with the impact of political issues on personal lives and questions blind nationalism and blind adherence to a leader and delves into the ugly face of idealism.

Rajiv Pator, a PhD candidate at Gauhati University, visits the Muslim dominated, remote villages of Nellie to look into the events leading up to the massacre of Muslims on February 18, 1983, also known as the Nellie massacre, the darkest chapter in the socio-political history of Assam. His objective is to discover the truth about what transpired. Does he miss the contemporary scenario of Nellie? Can Rajiv find out the root reason of the massacre?

Geetha (50) is a play school teacher and two-time divorcee with a history of
postpartum depression. She is attacked by Madhavan, her second husband, for meeting her
younger child, now in his custody. An injured Geetha suffers an epileptic fit and is pushed
into loneliness and depression. She tries to find solace in the children at the play school. Her long-time friends Hamza (50) and Uma (50) support her. Things take a turn for the worse when she’s falsely blamed for the death of a child at the playschool and loses everything, only to realise she’s also terminally ill and without money for treatment.

In rural India, a determined young girl, Savita, yearns for education and a bright future. However, as her farmer parents anxiously struggle to find a suitable match for her, societal expectations place immense pressure on her to prioritize marriage over personal aspirations. 

Facing countless rejections from suitors, she must navigate a world where the pursuit of marriage overshadows the very sustenance of life. Shot with non-actors from the village, Sthal (A Match) is the director's debut feature film.

In the serene village of Teekoy, nestled in the hilly parts of Kottayam district, resides Mathew Devassy, a recently retired Secretary of the Co-operative bank, revered by the locals. With his wife Omana and father Devassy, their tranquil life is disrupted when Mathew decides to contest in the upcoming Panchayath by-election. However, shock ensues as Omana files for divorce, alleging Mathew's homosexual relationship with Thankan, a friend from the village. This revelation rocks the village, casting doubt on Mathew's candidacy and tarnishing his reputation. Despite Mathew's pleas of innocence, Omana remains steadfast in her decision, sparking a societal uproar in the conservative community. As the village transforms the divorce case into a spectacle, the film delves into the societal stigma surrounding homosexuality, shedding light on the struggles faced by gay individuals in a traditional setting. Omana's advocate argues that her actions stem from years of societal conditioning, highlighting the complexities of marriage and societal expectations. The film advocates for acceptance and understanding, portraying gay individuals as capable of love and normal relationships. Ultimately, Omana's fight for divorce symbolizes a larger battle for equality and acceptance, echoing the significance of the abolishment of Section 377 by the Supreme Court. Through its narrative, the film challenges societal norms and prejudices, advocating for compassion and empathy towards all individuals, regardless of sexual orientation.

Mithya is a journey alongside Mithun, an eleven-year-old, coming to terms with the sudden loss of his parents. Things turn gloomier as their families squabble over his custody, even as questions over the nature of his Father's death remain unanswered. We walk in step with Mithya's tottering feet, as they search for solid ground. Can a new house be home, can friendships be forged again or is it all just a search for something long gone!

The film titled B 32" to 44" is a satire on "the perfect body myth", that narrates the stories of 6 women from different social strata and the overwhelming pressure they are facing in their daily lives because of their unmodified bodies and their responses to the male-gaze.

A nationwide lockdown is imposed in India during the coronavirus pandemic. While all Nepalese migrant labourers are boarding vans to leave for their country, Hansi sees an opportunity to earn more money for his ailing son in the emerging labour crisis when his brother-in-law, Dil Bahadur, offers him illegal work in a godown.

Mountain Cultures.

Last Day of Summer (India, France/ 2023/ Ladakhi (Changskat)/ 15 mins) Dir. Stenzin Tankong. A recurring mysterious sound from the Himalayan mountains is only heard by two curious young shepherds. Unable to convince the villagers of the eerie nature of this sound, they embark on a journey into the unknown to unravel the mystery.

Mountain Man / Gangri Gi Min (Bhutan/ 2022/ Dzonkha/ 22 mins) Dir. Arun Bhattarai. Bhutan's glaciologist, Phuntsho Tshering, risks treacherous expeditions to measure vanishing glaciers while his daughter, Yangchen, watches, anxious about disrupting the snow lion, guardian of the mountains.

The Poplar Trees (Nepal, Maldives/ 2023/ Tibetan (Mustangi)/ 9 mins) Dir. Manoj Kumar Pant. In pursuit of work, an impoverished couple crosses the Himalayas on foot to a more prosperous village, where they are tasked with gathering leaves and chopping wood of poplar trees. The arrangement takes an unexpected turn when the landowner’s son develops an interest in the migrant woman.

Silent Walls (Bhutan/ 2023/ Dzongkha/20 mins) Dir. Suraj Bhattarai. In a remote Himalayan village in Bhutan, 13-year-old deaf girl Deki takes on household responsibilities in the absence of a mother, but her world shatters when she experiences her first menstruation. As her father's paranoia about her puberty grows, Deki finds solace in nature. Will Deki reclaim her little freedom or will she be further confined?

Shera (Kumaoni/ 2023/20 mins) Dir. Aarun Fulara. As Monu's family readies to leave their Himalayan village, he longs to see the legendary leopard, Shera, which his friend Raju endeavors to make possible before their departure.

Cabbage (Short film/Bengali/15 mins) Dir. Diggi Sisodia. A senior citizen couple’s dysfunctional marriage goes into a tailspin because of the Covid lockdown.

Giddh/ The Scavenger (Short film/Hindi/24 mins) Dir. Manish Saini. An old man is compelled to choose an unlikely means of earning a morsel, his hunger is fulfilled but soon his guilt catches up to create a dilemma.

Next, Please (Short film/Hindi/11 mins) Dir. Rishav Kapoor. A woman goes on a virtual reality date and is transported to a speakeasy bar from the prohibition era of Mumbai.

Nocturnal Burger (Short film/Hindi/27 mins) Dir. Reema Maya. A 13-year-old girl and a 30-something man are brought to a police station in Mumbai in the middle of the night by two strangers. Amidst questionable motives and unreliable narrators, a frustrated female constable investigates what happened that night, and what could’ve happened.

Scenes From A Pandemic (Short film/ English/22 mins) Dir. Tanmaya Shekhar. Spanning two years, Scenes from a Pandemic is the story of a young woman's relationships with her mother, her best friend, and her career during a tumultuous phase of life.

Chupi Roh/ Stay Quiet ( Dogri/ 16 mins) Dir. Disha Bhardwaj. Chupi Roh is about a family of three, Leela Raju & their son, Abbu. They live in a small beautiful village deep in the Himalayas. Abbu is struggling with his identity while at the same time Raju is stricken by loss & failure. Amidst these issues, Leela is trying to find a way to deal with everything in the best possible way she knows.

Last Days of Summer ( Hindi/ 15 mins) Dir.  Stenzin Tankong. A recurring mysterious sound from the Himalaya mountains is only heard by two curious young shepherds. Unable to convince the villagers of the scary nature of such sound, they journey into the unknown to unravel the mystery.

Shurpankha ( Marathi/ 35 mins) Dir. Jayesh Apte.While India was excitedly celebrating its 25th Independence Day, siblings Madhav and Rukmini’s loving relationship is put to test. Skeletons buried deep in the closet are unearthed as the brother finally learns about his sister’s unconventional past and the choices she was forced to make by a close-minded society.

Sura/ Deity ( Kannada/ 28 mins) Dir. Sarthak Hegde. In the vibrant, fictional district of Danakallu, located in coastal Karnataka, India, resides Shekhara, a passionate Yakshagana artist obliviously devoted to his craft. His unwavering obsession lies in portraying the revered deity, Mahishasura, to a point where his devotion borders on delusion and rigid religious worship. Consumed by his artistic pursuits, Shekhara loses sight of his familial responsibilities and personal issues, as his world revolves entirely around Mahishasura.
 

Praanpratishtha/ Consecration ( Marathi/ 15 mins) Dir. Pankaj Sonawane.
In the scorching heat of Rural Maharashtra, an old man and a young boy toil tirelessly, their hands shaping a lifeless stone into a sacred idol, unaware of the fate that awaits them. As the village's annual Pran Pratishthana ceremony approaches, their hopes swell, yearning for recognition and reward for their craftsmanship.
 

White Ant ( Hindi/ 15 mins) Dir. Shalini Adnani. A man is summoned from Mumbai to his childhood home to deal with a termite infestation.

 Late after a party amongst a theatre group, their sole actress, Anjali, is groped by one among the twelve men of the group. An urgent meeting between all but the accused is called for. In trying to reach a consensus on his expulsion, stories unravel, suspicions surface and clamour ensues.

An interfaith couple flee persecution in their village and begin a new life in the city, compelled to live on the open pavements like countless migrants. But their minds are captivated by a throne-like armchair in an exquisite showroom right beside their settlement on which they dream to sit together one day as king and queen. Barred from even stepping inside the showroom because of their social status, they make a promise to gift each other that seat of power as a token of their love. Leading harsh lives as a van-puller and a housemaid they stake everything to attain their seemingly impossible dream. Tempted by wealth, intellectualism and power they venture into the extremes of the society from the depths of its dark criminal underbelly to the heights of its bright elite upper crust. Unfazed by socio-political unrest, religious disharmony, rampant misinformation spreading on social media and rising threat of displacement of the dispossessed, their minds fly on wings of desire like moths drawn to fire. Will their desire destroy their love? Or can they rise from their own ashes like a phoenix and transform their desired seat of power into a seat of love?

Set in the heart of the bustling City of Joy, Kolkata, 'Mon Potongo' (Mind Flies) is an ode to the flight of desire - amoral, relentless, and unrestrained. Through the perspective of its ambitious working class protagonists who encounter an ensemble of characters from different tiers of society, the film not only explores both the dark underbelly and the dazzling elite society of a South Asian Metropolis but also the darkest and brightest sides of human desire as if weaving a fairy tale with the threads of social realism.

When Kumaresan, a police jeep driver, is assigned to escort the enigmatic militant leader "Vaathiyar", he is forced to question everything he's believed about the law, justice, and ultimately, freedom.

"​Hands destined to mould a thing of beauty​".

​Thus wrote James Cousins, eminent writer, of a young Sikh potter he met in Japan in 1922.

The film celebrates the life and legacy of S​ardar Gurcharan Singh​, the father of studio pottery in India.

Daddyji, as he came to be fondly called, introduced ​the ​underpaid and undervalued craft of pottery to the imagination of the ​Indian ​​mass​es​ with plates, jugs and teapots, ensur​ing that ​colour and beauty ​a​re accessible to everybody.

Bombay fishermen Rakesh and Ganesh are inheritors of the great Koli knowledge system—a way to harvest the sea by following the moon and the tides. Rakesh has kept faith in the traditional fishhing methods while Ganesh has strayed away from them, embracing technology. Against the Tide is a tale of deep friendship and rising resentment between the two men, as close as brothers, against the backdrop of an adoring sea, which is increasingly turning hostile because of climate change.

Fascinated by Iran’s film culture and the poetry of the feminist poet Forough
Farrokhzad, Indian filmmaker Sreemoyee Singh sets out in search of the protagonists
of Iranian cinema. The numerous interviews she conducts over a period of six years
with filmmakers Jafar Panahi, Mohammad Shirvani and human rights activist
Nasrin Sotudeh, among others, show the precarious situation in which critics of the
regime find themselves, including the constant threat of imprisonment and being
banned from practising their profession. With a keen eye for unusual situations, she
documents the effect of the Islamic Republic’s strict and omnipresent censorship on
the daily lives of Iranian women whose uncompromising struggle has put them at
the forefront of the protests that are currently rocking the country. And, Towards
Happy Alleys is a passionate declaration of love for the cinema and poetry of Iran
which also provides a frank view of daily life, and bears witness to a fearless
generation raising its voice and implacably demanding its civil liberties.

Spanning from 1897 to 2023 this feature documentary is an informative, funny, musical, and entertaining look at Bollywoodisation and globalisation of popular Hindi Cinema through its love affair with Australia and the world. Featuring interviews with icons of Hindi cinema along with rare behind the scenes of bollywood stars filming at picturesque locations in Australia and the west, Brand Bollywood pays homage to the popular film industry and subculture of Bollywood in form and in content.

Pari (Docu/ 2023/ Hindi/ 31 mins) Dir. Priya Sen. Pari attempts to describe an event in the days of Pari and Praveen, a violent rupture that allowed in a life held by desire and not duty. In this film, they recount their love story against the undertones and backdrop of threat and violence. The present is both fraught and romantic; the disruption of a past moment finds momentary comfort in recall; the future is hopeful.

Humare Beech Main ( Docu/ Hindi/ 2023/ 35 mins) Dirs. Rajkumari Prajapati and Ruchika Negi. A conversation between two women about making a film on caste. How does one show the ordinary, viscerally? How do you use the camera to  reveal structures of power and, maybe, even take back some power for ourselves? How does image-making help us negotiate, question and reflect on our differences? And as documentarians, how do we film caste? What do we show? What do we hide? Who has access? Who refrains? 

Shot on mobile phone cameras in western Uttar Pradesh, the Film seeks to explore the positions of the two women, Rajkumari, a social activist from Lalitpur UP, and Ruchika, a documentary filmmaker and educator from New Delhi, within the stratified structure of caste. 

This feature-length documentary biography delves into the life of the iconic centenarian teacher, Padmashree Nanda Prusty, renowned for operating one of India's last traditional open-air schools, Chatasali. Spanning over 90 years, his remarkable journey unfolds in the remote region of Odisha,India. Depicting the extraordinary deeds of an ordinary villager. Prusty's narrative extends across three generations, marked by his unwavering commitment to selflessly serving his village and its people on a profound spiritual 

A 100-year-old house in Guwahati, Assam, North Eastern India. A house that gave 30 feature films and several directors, music composers, singers, actors and actresses to Assamese cinema. And some of them were also top cricketers, footballers, politician and much more. A house that is now facing an uncertain future.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, a collective of indigenous artists
belonging to India’s ‘ex-criminal’ De-notified Tribes and associated with Budhan Theatre,
decided to produce video podcasts of the impact of the pandemic on the margins. This
process was an effort to generate memory against processes of collective amnesia; and to
usher indigenous communities to the digital space in a post-pandemic context, where the
digital has become an essential component of our cultural and economic life. This film tells
the story of the makers, who did not stop recording despite losing members of their own
family along the way.
Mhara Pichchar combines storytelling with music, poetry performance and narration to bring to the fore issues and debates that are absent in mainstream media. The film traverses several strands covering the personal and artistic trajectories of the protagonists, using behind-the-scenes interviews of the creators and footage from the podcast as the narrative trope.

A survival thriller set against the backdrop of the tragic 2018 Kerala Floods. The film portrays the spirit of unity and humanity put in by Keralites to survive the disaster. Although the mammoth effect of floods drowned most parts of Kerala, this story of hope is primarily set in a fictional village called “Aruvikulam” and narrates the lives of its residents hailing from different walks of life.

Set in the late 1990s, story of 17 year old Vivek who is sent away from home to a prep school to prepare for the highly competitive IIT ("the MIT of India") entrance examination.

A philosophical and supernatural anthology of four hard-hitting stories, each unique in its own way, but all intertwined with the common and universal philosophies of ‘Life’ and ‘Karma’. It explores the response of nature to the bad Karmas created by human beings. When lies, greed, desire, rage, selfishness, ego, etc. begin to drive our lives to such an extent that some of us become blind and cross all the bounds of conscience, ethics, and morality, an unknown power of nature intervenes mystically as an equaliser.

Set in Belgaum, a small town riddled with territorial dispute, a radicalized journalist believes in exposing the atrocities committed against his community. But his beliefs are based on half-truths propagated by an extremist leader.

Aravind, a high school teacher, wants to transition from male to female while working for a school in a small town in South India.

In a village plagued by kidnapping fears, the church announces the arrival of a miraculous Virgin Mary statue along with a grim announcement from the village security head, Nengsal, who warns “ of an approaching apocalyptic darkness which will last for 80 days. Nothing will give light except for the Blessed Candles given by the priest”. Amidst this chaos, we follow Kasan, a 10-year-old boy suffering from night blindness, and his father, Nengsal. Through their perspective, we witness the village’s unprecedented challenges and the unintended consequences they inflict on their lives.

A workshop offering a unique opportunity to gain insights into the intricacies of Film Production led by industry experts. Sessions on - “Investment and Pitching” by Sanjay Gulati, Producer, Crawling Angel Films Delhi; “Film Distribution” by Rahul Merchant, CEO Runaway-Luminosity Distribution Mumbai, joining remotely via Google Meeti; “Film Festival Ecosystem & Marketing” by Aseem Chhabra, Festival Curator, New York Indian Festival.

Supported by Niv Art Movies.

Student fee: ₹1000 | Non-student fee: ₹1500.

Taran, the daughter of a wealthy landlord, finds herself on the horns of a dilemma when she has to choose between being with her lover and protecting her father's public image.

A discussion on film scholar Smita Banerjee’s “Modernities and the Popular Melodrama: The Suchitra–Uttam Yug in Bengali Cinema” (2023). Published by Orient Blackswan.

The book examines the film careers of Suchitra Sen and Uttam Kumar, the media frenzy surrounding their public and private lives and selves, and the imprint they left on the popular imagination in newly independent India. A fascinating account of the Suchitra–Uttam phenomenon, its social context, and its enduring emotional appeal.

Discussants:  Dr. Anugyan Nag, Asst. Professor, Film and Media Studies, MCRC, Jamia Millia Islamia; Dr. Abhija Ghosh, Asst. Professor, Film and New Media, Jindal School of Journalism and Communication, OP Jindal Global University. In conversation with the author- Smita Banerjee, Professor, Dept. of English, DCAC, University of Delhi.

Set in the foothills of Bodoland in Northeast India, the story explores the lives of women in a patriarchal society recovering from decades of armed conflict between the State and separatist groups. Their experiences of repression and fighting back are interwoven. Preeti, a doctoral student from the city comes to the village for her fieldwork. Her romantic ideas of rural life are crushed after witnessing the effects that militarization and patriarchy have on the everyday lives of these women. Mainao and Gaodaang raise their teenage children as single mothers. Mainao's husband, a rebel, was killed by security personnel. Gaodaang's husband is a soldier in the Indian army posted along the country's border. Once inseparable friends, they are now struggling with the bitter legacies left behind by their husbands. Middle-aged Malothi is gang raped by an armed patrol one night. Her husband abandons her labeling her "unclean". But winds of change are about to blow.

Eight months pregnant lady is all alone in home as her parents had gone for funeral. Due to heavy rain even maid couldn't able to attend expecting mother. Physical changes due to first pregnancy scared the lady. However she manages to spend a day by bathing, eating, online meeting in office and singing her favorite song to sooth inner baby. Thunder and lightning impacted her stability in night. Story is all about how she manages this all to protect her baby which is yet to land on this earth.

Nana, a retired single adamant old man, has no idea that an unwelcomed guest on his four– a puppy is going to change the course of his life. Aadima, a senior graphic designer artist, doesn’t have the faintest of inkling that the same puppy is going to force her to go on adventures she otherwise wouldn’t. And Neel, her grandson has no clue that he is going to help Nana and Aadima understand the needs of elderly singles. 

When Samyuktha tells her mom, Lakshmi that she is in love. Lakshmi invites her daughter’s lover home for lunch and learns the shocking truth that she is in a lesbian relationship. Lakshmi’s ex husband Pandian joins in and Conversations turn nasty, revealing deep schism, and relationships align and deviate in unexpected ways. The dramatic climax brings to the fore many social, ethical and legal questions about same-sex relationships. The story is seen from multiple perspectives, including that of Mary, the maid who tries to make sense of new ideas of love and sex.

Darika, a 14 year old girl living with her grandparents, is plagued with questions about her life that she cannot find answers to. She often wonders where her mother is who gave birth to her? What happened to her? Is she dead? Did she abandon her? What about her father? Why is she being raised by her grandparents and her unmarried maternal uncle? No one in the family would give her answers. Why?

This longing to know about her life has left her meek and quiet. As she tries to find her answers from those close to her, she's shut down from all quarters. Her grandparents tried their best to give her the best of life but deep down she knows that they are not happy. She was born a girl in a matrilineal culture and isn't her birth enough to bring joy to the family especially her parents and grandparents. What else is missing?

That is until she finds the letters that might be the answers to everything she has ever wanted to know. Will the letters solve the puzzles around her life, or will she be left with more questions

than she began?

David, a passionate footballer, has not come home. His mother persuades Joseph, his father, to go and look for him.  After no luck with David’s friends, Joseph goes to the police. The body of a teenage boy lies in the morgue in Imphal, and they tell him the only way to know whether it is or isn’t David, is to go there to see for himself.  Reluctantly he sets out on the long journey and as he travels, his fear grows deeper: a fear born of constant conflict - past and present – to which a personal fear is added.

One afternoon, 9 year old ‘ Guras’ fails to find ‘Tinkle', her pet dog. There is a fear of a loose leopard in the village. A faint sound of a barking dog from the other side of the valley sets Guras on a mission to find Tinkle. She comes across mysterious people along this journey, who hints her about Tinkle’s possible pathway and soon her search turns mystical.

Dhai Aakhar, an ode to love is based on the novel - "Teerthatan Ke Baad" by Amrik Singh Deep. It tells the story of a widow who rebuilds herself after years of being in an abusive marriage when she starts talking to an empathetic writer through letters. The film brings out the conflict surrounding such relationships in patriarchal society.

Best of short films shortlisted from entries received for HFF 2024. The selection of shorts illuminates a cross-section of the lives and landscapes of the people of different cultures of India. With inputs from cinema critic Dr. Saptarshi Chaudhuri and film scholar Dr. Vebhuti Duggal. 

Malwa Khushan ( Hindi/ 2023/  20 mins) Dirs. Preeti Kanungo, Sourav Yadav. Cast :  Priyanshi Bharti, Prakrati Chauhan. Set in rural India, it's a coming of age story of two sisters Malwa and Khushan exploring and experiencing sexuality and attraction in their adolescent years. Living with their grandmother, Khushan always looks up to Malwa for her outspoken nature and courage. Soon a new girl arrives in Khushan's class and she starts developing feelings for her.

Nothing Grows Under The Pine Trees (Garhwali/  2024/  32 mins) Dir. Sachin Rana. Cast: Soni Rana, Aakriti Rana, Rajendra Singh Rana, Deweshwari Rana (All non actors). Marriage begins to spool the fates of two sisters as their family begins to arrange for one. Lost in her kaleidoscopic imagination, the younger sister comes to believe that she is being married. On the other hand, the elder sister, the one being married, knows what this marriage is— a remedy for crossing the lines drawn by society and concocted by the fear of social boycott. From the hills of Uttarakhand comes this story of two sisters' destiny tied to their society, a sliver of the ensuing saga of a people torn by prejudice disguised as tradition.

Gahvara(Hindi/ 2023/ 28 mins) Dir. Tariq Mohammad. Cast: Himansh Kohli, Flora Bose, Neeraj Sood, Harvinder Kaur, Priyanka Verma, Saria Iqbal. To fulfill his grandmother’s last wish Farhan makes a new funeral bier (gahvara) to take her body to the burial ground. But the events that happen thereafter change Farhan's life and perspective.

Yes Sir (Hindi/ 2023/ 20 mins) Dir. Mudit Singhal. Cast: Mukesh Bhatt, Sonu Anand, Vikas Prasad Somani, Himanshu Rawat, Vineet Ahuja. Ramnarayan Tiwari, a Brahmin , is an office peon in a public sector undertaking, where recently, a Dalit has risen to become a big officer. Tiwari resents this. The officer’s bathroom’s drain has choked. The story is about how this reverse hierarchical order, and Tiwari’s caste prejudice towards the officer, counterbalance each other to solve the problem of the choked drain.

Odhani ( Hindi, Bhojpuri/ 24 mins) Dir. Anand Raj. Cast : Vivek Singh, Anand Raj, Nisha Gupta, Ghanshyam Yadav, Aarohi Kanojia, Ajeet Pratap Singh, Priya Gupta. A fictional story which shows the pain of girls in rural areas, how they get molested by boys. In this film a lower middle class family  hope that their daughter will study and become an officer. On the other hand, the girl is upset with two boys who always stalk her and  follow her when she goes to school. What will she do? How will she get rid of them?  

Vamoose (Telugu/ 2024/ 15 mins) Dir. A D Prem Kumar. Cast : Nagarajan, Prem MPS.A detective checking up on a lead for a missing persons case brings him to the person who can be the last one to be questioned.
 

Mom- Beti ( Hindi/2023/ 5 mins) Dir. Reshma Ramachandran .Cast : Priya Haloli, Preeti Haloli. An escalating fight between a mother and daughter. 

251( Bengali/ Unreleased/ 16 mins) Dir. Bauddhayan Mukherji. As Covid spreads during the first wave, many horror stories unfold in India – some of them in the inglorious send offs. Based on true events, 251 is the touching story of a son who is asked to come over to a makeshift crematorium to bid his dead mother the final goodbye. What unfolds is a heart wrenching saga of human endurance and the never-ending trauma that we all went through.

Nirjara ( 2023/ English & Hindi/ 7 mins ) Dir. Gaurav Patil. A short film exploring the hierarchy in religious practices and Indian family structure. Aniket and Venkat, two brothers are at the Varanasi ghat to perform the last rites of their deceased mother. Aniket, the younger, has spent his entire life in the shadow of his older brother who is sought as the 'man' after their father. Always ahead of him -even now, as the older son performs the last rite rituals of their mother according to the Hindu tradition. Throughout the film Aniket questions his position as a son and challenges his relationship with his brother.

After Suman suffers an accident Meghna, the wife, and Subhra, his ex-wife, are compelled by circumstances to meet each other which leads to an awkward emotional duel between the two wives. Can a relationship ever be broken into two halves?

Norwegian academic Samuel breathed his last in a Santhali village, expressing his wish to be buried in the village. Bidu is driven by the desire to respect Samuel's final wish. Meanwhile, Bidu's young son grapples with the heartbreaking reality that his dream of visiting Norway, promised by Samuel, may remain unfulfilled. However, a glimmer of hope emerges with the arrival of Samuel's daughter, Lauren, in the village, breathing new life into the boy's shattered dreams.

It’s 1932, as the echoes of British marching approach, a group of inmates gather in a jail, eagerly awaiting a story from Pandurang Sadashiv Sane, also known as 'Sane Guruji'. With the promise of a tale as sweet as lemon syrup, he begins to recount his memories of growing up in the Konkan Region, highlighting his mother's impact on his life. Through his stories, Sane Guruji shares the lessons and values his mother instilled in him, including the importance of honesty and the sacrifices she made for her children. From the confines of the prison, Sane Guruji narrates the touching story of Shyamchi Aai, a tribute to the unbreakable spirit of a mother and her son.

When his wife sends him to rehab for his alcohol addiction without consent, Radha's world shatters, fuelling his desperate escape plan. Loneliness and estrangement from his family follow as he returns to his old ways.

Village inhabitants near a forest in India are being killed by an unknown animal. Instigated by corrupt officials and the media, the villagers are inclined to believe that Avni, a tigress from the neighbouring forest, is responsible for the deaths. Labelled a man-eater, Avni’s life is in danger as fearful villagers call for her execution. Mihir Ghosh, a tiger conservationist from the city, works with the local Forest Department and village leaders to educate the people about co-existing with wildlife. Together, they challenge the official narrative intended to slander Avni, and work towards uncovering the agenda behind the shoot-to-kill order. Based on real events.