Last year, our festival celebrated its 20th anniversary—this year, in the third decade of our amazing adventure, we want to reflect on the annual adrenaline rush that accompanies our efforts to bring you the best of Indian cinema. Worrying about how many people will attend, whether they’ll like the films, or whether they’ll return next year… The culmination of those three days at the cinema is preceded by a whole year of sneak previews of programming material, meetings with the Indian ambassador, hitting deadlines for grant applications, scheduling, haggling with distributors, and the occasional heated debate over visuals. It’s a lot, but we’re rewarded with a hall full of spectators for our efforts, and their contended smiles when leaving the cinema make everything seem worthwhile. Over the past twenty years, our team has not only acquired the skills necessary to recognise a good film—or the skills to organise a festival—but also become a close group of friends who meet outside of festival work to test new Indian restaurants or support each other in times of crisis.
It is true that when we started, it was nearly impossible to get into Indian film. The era of streaming and downloads had not yet begun, so VHS tapes or pirated DVDs from the Main Bazar in Delhi had to suffice. Today, the situation is radically different. Almost all quality Indian films are available on Netflix or other platforms. One might argue that there is no point in having our festival anymore, but I see it as being in the interest of our audiences and fans to indulge in the shared experience of a quality screening, to experience a unique atmosphere, enjoy some Indian food, and be guaranteed entertainment. Equally, I see the point in maintaining those friendships within our group—our lives would be poorer without them.
I’m going to get a little personal now. When last year’s anniversary year ended, I thought it was a good time to end with our heads held high. A lot of stress and work goes into this festival, disproportionate to the financial cost, and with cinema attendance in a slump around the world, the outlook is not optimistic. Two days after the festival, Hanka sent a poll to our WhatsApp group chat: Do we want to continue next year, Yes or No? I didn’t want to impose my opinion on anyone, so I waited to vote. The next day, there were votes from all the other team members— they were all in favour. I smiled, and voted Yes as well. The idea of seeing less of my crazy friends was not pleasant. They mean the world to me.
And there we have it! We’re ringing in another year, and I believe this programme is top-notch. The opening film will be Srikanth, a biographical drama based on the true story of a blind boy who aspires to be President of India and who, so far, has established himself as a wealthy entrepreneur and philanthropist. For logistical reasons, we’ve had to shift the date to occur during Diwali (November 2), so we’ve included the immortal hit Kabhi Kushi Kabhie Gham in our programme. This film shows the festivities of Diwali in a lavish presentation, and has become a tradition to watch on festive days. My personal favourite is the gritty thriller Joram about a rural man’s escape from political gangsters and corrupt cops, all while carrying his baby in his arms. Other films include Laapataa Ladies, an emotionally charged story of two brides who mistakenly swap places on a train, Crew, an action comedy about a trio of stewardesses who embark on a crime spree, and 12th Fall, another true story of a young student struggling through his high school finals.
We look forward to seeing you!
Radim Spacek
creative director of the festival