Lost World 2020
Country of Origin: India
Language: Bengali with English subtitles
Subtitles
Director: Mitra Majumder
Duration: 1 hr 9 minutes
Synopsis:
In a crumbling world where climate crisis, human trafficking, child abduction, and the ruthless greed of urbanisation intersect, one forgotten elderly soul during pandemic 2020 becomes a mirror to humanity’s downfall. This surreal, dystopian yet poetic cinematic journey dives deep into themes of displacement, ecological destruction, and the profound loneliness that festers in a society obsessed with artificial connections and material gain.
Distant
Set across two intertwined worlds, d i s t a n t traces the fragile rhythms of ordinary lives caught between duty, identity and quiet despair. Inder, suspended from work, wanders through days with his curious young son, hiding his own failures while trying to shield the child from consequences. Elsewhere, an ageing priest and his son clash over tradition, memory, and the meaning of faith, as forgotten histories resurface. Parallel to them, Kunti returns home after years in prison, confronting a father whose dreams for her were undone by rebellion and circumstance.
In Silence
Country of Origin: Brazil
Language: Portuguese with English
Subtitles
Director: Alexandre Britto
Duration: 1 hour 35 minutes
About the film:
In Silence is an award-winning film from Brazil with a lot of suspense and explores delicate themes such as moral violence, sexual violence, sadism behind the scenes of the cinema industry, and silence as a tool of power structures. Glória, the character, is not just an actress, but a metaphor for the glory that a film crew seeks: status, fame, and money.
I Am No Queen
Kesariya
The Messenger Hermes Remembers
The Thread: French film
POOVU (FLOWER)
In life, he hadn’t travelled much. Fleeing from the homeland with his mother was his first. Adolescence was a passage through the pain of lost love. A honeymoon train ride to Delhi with his wife was the second of his journeys. And later, the journey of holding his daughter’s hand.
What is left is a journey unburdened by the inevitability of return and in the midst of it, he travels along a path he chose, but had failed to tread.
Travelling with four women who influenced him most in life – mother, wife, daughter and the first lover is fifty year old Jeevan. And time and seasons and places entwine hands with Jeevan on this journey. Just as he had desired.
| Anish Babu Abbas | Director |
| Binoy George | Director |
| Johnson V Devassy | Writer |
| Anish Babu Abbas, Santhosh Kumar E | Producer |
| KPAC Leela, Manjulan K. V.,Meenakshi Anoop, Sruthi Vipin,Shanthi Rao | Key Cast |
May 2025
Special Screening on International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia 15 May 2025
ONENESS
Inspired by a true event from 2013, ONENESS tells the story of Ivan Martin, a young boy from a deeply conservative Christian family in Manipur, India. In a society where homosexuality is condemned and silenced, Ivan’s heart defies fear when he falls in love with Pamheiba, a boy from the Meitei community. Their bond, forged in secrecy and strength, becomes a radical act of love in a society that refuses to accept them.
When their relationship is discovered, Ivan is forced into the harrowing ordeal of conversion therapy by his own family. His father and older brother, Daniel, driven by blind faith and societal shame, do everything in their power to “correct” him. But amid the cruelty and rejection, Ivan finds support from his mother and sister, whose quiet resistance becomes his only source of solace.
As tensions rise and the pressure to conform mounts, love becomes both a refuge and a rebellion. The film reaches a shattering climax when Daniel, unable to accept the truth, commits an irreversible act that alters their lives forever. ONENESS is a stirring portrayal of love, identity, and the cost of being true to oneself in a world built on intolerance. It is a call for empathy, acceptance, and the courage to stand against hate.
In over 50 years of Manipuri cinema, ONENESS stands as the first-ever film to boldly confront sexual identity and authentically explore same-sex relationships.
• ONENESS made its world premiere at KASHISH Pride Film Festival 2024, South Asia’s Largest Queer Film Festival.
• ONENESS is listed in the Top 3 Manipuri Films on IMDb.
• ELLE India listed ONENESS in the Top 8 Films At KASHISH 2024.
• MID-DAY listed ONENESS in the Top 10 Films At KASHISH 2024.
• Official Selection at the BANGALORE QUEER FILM FESTIVAL 2024.
• Official Selection at the 2nd Eikhoigi Imphal International Film Festival 2025 (2nd EIIFF 2025).
• Official Selection – In Competition – at the 2nd North East India Film Festival, Manipur, 2025.
• Won BEST DIRECTOR – Northeast (Priyakanta Laishram) at the PRAG CINE AWARDS 2025.
• Nominated for BEST FILM – Northeast, BEST ACTOR – Northeast (Priyakanta Laishram), and BEST ACTRESS – Northeast (Maya Choudhury) at the PRAG CINE AWARDS 2025.
• Official Selection – Finalist – In Competition at the Aravali International Film Festival 2025, New Delhi.
| Priyakanta Laishram | Director |
| Priyakanta Laishram | Writer |
| Roushil Singla, Priyakanta Laishram | Producer |
| Maya Choudhury, Priyakanta Laishram, Suraj Ngashepam, Sachinker Sagolsem, Harendra Laishram, Ramva Leishangthem | Key Cast |
| Boong Konjengbam, Ibomcha Irom | Directors Of Photography |
| Whitesand Music, Scott Buckley, Noel Malekar | Directors Of Music |
GAIA
Rabia and Olivia
Mandi House Ka Mental
MIRAGE
Dream Factory
Better Days
Bhav Bhagwan Che
Bhav Bhagwan Che questions who we trust – and at what cost.
Trees
On the death of her husband, Malal retrieves her hidden pencils and paper from beneath a floor board to draw the flowers in her garden. While her sons argue over who will look after her now, she leaves the house alone for the first time in years.
| Mian Rahman | Director |
| Jan Ruppe-Rahman | Writer |
| Jan Ruppe-Rahman | Producer |
Sab Rab De Bande (We’re all God’s Creation)
Sab Rab De Bande brings forth the various challenges that LGBTQ Sikhs grapple with and the different ways in which they reconcile their faith and gender/sexual identities. The documentary, through interviews with LGBTQ Sikhs, captures the varied experiences of queer Sikhs. Featured in the documentary are five different people with different gender and sexual identities and belonging to different parts of India. By tracking their life, the documentary seeks to find answers to questions like: Did their religious identity (and teachings) come in conflict with their sexual/gender identity, or did they find strength in the teachings of their religion and religious identity? What was the reaction of their family when they came out? Did they oppose it in terms of religion? How did the lack of visibility and representation of queer Sikhs in media and online spaces affect them while growing up? What kind of discrimination they face within the queer community, which idolizes a clean shaved look? What did they feel growing up as a Sikh and a queer person?
| Sukhdeep Singh | Director |
| Sukhdeep Singh | Producer |
Young ans Naive
The eloquent words of Robin’s journey to face her past begin a tidal wave of healing hearts at Poet’s Jazz House….just somewhere to go in the midst of searching your soul. A poetry lounge where spilling your heart is art and searching your soul is mandatory to get in the door. Young & Naive delves deep into the mind of the poet; creating a masterful work of art in this remarkable and profoundly affecting story; as seen through the eyes of a spoken word artist spitting the powerful intensity of truth.
We can save our children, we can change the world!
Forgetting
Synopsis: Following a stroke, Marie, a 85 years old woman, wakes up in the hospital. She has forgotten French and can only speak Breton, her mother tongue, a language that she hadn’t used for years.
directed by Madeleine Guillo-Lean from France Duration: 18:06 minutes
| Madeleine Guillo-Leal | Director |
| Janig Bodiou,François Louis, Anna Guillo-Leal, Olivia Lancelot | Key Cast |
Flip Flop
| Martin Baillon | Director |
| Pierre Lavalette | Director |
| Martin Baillon | Writer |
| Pierre Lavalette | Writer |
| Nicolas Gallardo | Writer |
| Martin Baillon | Producer |
| Pierre Lavalette | Producer |
A Thousand Years of Love (MYNAMAR)
Wai Hnin and Ingyinn, two young girls in Burma, have a chance encounter and immediately are pulled together by a mutual attraction. Wai is of a volatile, emotional personality and Ingyinn and young and confused. Moreover, Ingyinn is already engaged to a man. But when the attraction between the two girls becomes very apparent, Ingyinn must make a decision while Wai must rein in her own highly volatile emotion.
| M. Noe | Director |
| M. Noe | Writer |
| M. Noe | Producer |
U=Me
Synopsis: Nikita faces a life-altering situation when her husband, Neeraj, discloses his HIV diagnosis. While struggling with the emotional turmoil, she contemplates leaving him due to the lifelong nature of the disease. Unexpectedly reuniting after some time, Neeraj reveals that with consistent medication, he can lead a healthy life without transmitting HIV through sex. Nikita, guided by a counselor and medical consultant, discovers the empowering concept of “U=U” (Undetectable = Untransmittable), providing hope for a fulfilling future together.
| Umesh Vinayak Kulkarni | Director |
| Vivek Bele. | Writer |
| Sanjay Pujari | Producer |
UN-WOMAN
Plot:
For a comfortable life, a man belonging to the rural parts of India illegally buys a bride for himself but unknowingly marries a Hijda (Slur used in India to describe an Transgender / Intersex person). They eventually fall in love and fight to survive as a couple in a conservative, oppressive society where marriages are meant to take place only between a man and a woman, and traditional norms are more important than humanity.
Synopsis:
Bhanwar a simple man from the village of Rajasthan leads a lonely life. He is further burdened by the overpowering shadow of his dominant uncle Bhairo who mostly decides on Bhanwar’s behalf. To improve their living condition his uncle Bhanwar coaxes him to buy a bride. Bhanwar sells his piece of land and Bhairo contacts a human trafficker. But as destiny holds it, the human trafficker dupes Bhanwar and instead of a woman sells him Sanwri who is an Transgender / Intersex person (She is a person with a female gender identity born with no vagina and reproductive organs).
Stuck in a strange situation, both Bhanwar and Bhairo decide to keep her in their home for household work and withhold Sanwri’s actual identity since Transgender / Intersex people are looked down upon in Indian society.
Sanwri’s gentle demeanor and sweet nature soften Bhanwar’s heart. Their bond based on necessity gradually turns into love. But for Bhairo, Sanwri and Bhanwar’s relationship is anything but real. Bhairo treats Sanwri as an object who is only there to serve his needs. He wants Sanwri to satisfy his lustful needs too. When Bhanwar objects tension brews between them and Sanwri’s reality comes out in open. Bhanwar and Sanwri realize that their love is not enough to survive the harsh judgment, mockery, taboos, and hypocrisy of society.
Set in the world of relatable characters, the film also throws light on bride trafficking, the skewed female ratio in some parts of India, and the status of Transgender / Intersex people who are abused as ‘Chakka’ ‘Gud’ ‘Hijda’. People made them feel ashamed of their bodies and forced them to live a life away from the mainstream.
| Pallavi Roy | Director |
| Pallavi Roy | Writer |
| Gunjan Goel | Producer |
| Bhagwan Tiwari, Sarthak Narula, Kanak Garg, Girish Pal Singh, Pramod Deswal | Key Cast |
Paper Dream
The story of this film is about an albino teenage boy who falls in love with a young girl
| Ali Atshani | Director |
| Jaber Ghasemail | Writer |
| Ali Atshani | Producer |
| Sadra Doroudianhomayouni | Producer |
| Kasra Doroudianhomayouni | Producer |
| Hamed Feizidizaji | Producer |
| Rana Nabavi | Producer |
| Mahdi Moniri | Producer |
| Mina Vahid, Amirhosein Rezazadeh, Kamran Tafti, Negar Mallaki, Elham Hamidi ( Einali ), | Key Cast |
Here Lies
A 50 years-old woman cannot stand her husband anymore and decides to go to space.
| Renée Spatial | Director |
| Renée Spatial | Writer |
| Victor Forest | Producer |
| Helene Sarrazin,Pierre Lebaleur | Key Cast |
If I Could Tell You
Charu, a Deaf woman and her hearing friend Surbhi share two very distinct relationships with Indian Sign Language (ISL) — Surbhi who is a child of Deaf adults (CODA) learnt sign even before she learnt any spoken language while Charu grew up in a family of hearing people and learnt ISL much later in life.
Equipped with the power of language and the newfound access it has enabled her, Charu is trying to push the limits that the hearing world has imposed on her and is actively working towards building a larger community of independent, empowered Deaf women in India. Through her feminist forum called, “Deaf Women Too”, she aims to reshape societal perspectives and create a more inclusive future.
Surbhi, on the other hand has been an interpreter all her life, bridging the communication gap between the Deaf and hearing worlds. While continuing to fulfill her role as an interpreter, she is now learning to break out of the weight that comes with being a caregiver and is finding what it means to do something for herself.
By opening up this conversation about the need to express beyond just the Deaf community, ‘If I could Tell You’ embarks upon a broader inquiry into the significance of language in our shared human experience. Interspersed with performances and interviews with a dancer, a drag queen, an actor and an ISL poet, the film explores how these various manifestations of visual language help us understand agency, autonomy and care.
Made in collaboration with artist Pakhi Sen, this documentary pushes the boundaries of storytelling by blending diverse media forms, including animation and artistic performances. It is also the first instance of an Indian film featuring an original ISL poem by a Deaf poet.
| Niharika Popli | Director |
The Jungle Is My Garden
Beyond
Maidan
OLYMPIC DREAM by Don HOe
Maidan
Squeaky Shoes that Chase Lost Souls
The Other Profile
The Zoo (Chidiakhana)
Synopsis: A young Bihari boy, Sooraj with a talent for soccer, arrives with his poor mother to live in Mumbai slums, that is predominantly Marathi. He faces extreme odds from gang members of his new school who would not let him be at peace or play his game for which he has great passion and talent for. Hounded and cornered, Sooraj fights for his spot under the sun, his place in the Chidiakhana or the Zoo, often literally, as his adversaries appear with animal heads to confront Sooraj. Things start to change for our underdog protagonist when protection comes from unexpected quarters; a local Marathi gangster comes to their rescue and gives wings to his modest dreams. Chidiakhana is a heartwarming sports drama with a touch of magic realism.
My Radio My Life
Synopsis: Set in the 21st century, the film revisits the golden era of radio in India, when it was the dominant, popular, and only source of entertainment, news, and knowledge. Being a medium that is heard across national borders, the radio has been instrumental in expanding horizons and enriching the lives of generations. Besides giving companionship to individuals, the radio brought families together and inspired people to make life choices. We meet individuals from diverse backgrounds. A man who broadcasted the historic Apollo 11 moon landing as an announcer for Voice of America, a woman who found her calling in her formative years and later a life partner through radio, an octogenarian’s unwavering determination to get his treasured valve radio set back to life, a person who preserves memories of people by restoring their radios and curating them in his museum, a woman from a conservative family who gets liberated by her passion for HAM radio and later goes on to win the prestigious Presidential Award, and several others who have indelible fond memories of the radio from their childhood and youth. Radio as a medium continues to enthrall people with its evolving nature and the sentiments associated with it.
Wet Dogs
A French film directed by Yves Matthey Duration: 1 hr 15 minutes
Synopsis: Alix & Tina. Two best friends. Tina gets bad news: she has cancer. She calls Alix and then escapes from the hospital. Together they decide to go and live their dreams.
Colors of Silence
In partnership with Alliance Française de Delhi we provide a platform for independent filmmakers worldwide. Our aim is to promote independent cinema and offer filmmakers an opportunity to showcase their work. Monthly screenings of 2-3 films are held at the ML Bhartia Auditorium, which is located at Alliance Française de Delhi, 72, KK Birla Ln, Lodhi Gardens, Lodhi Estate, New Delhi, Delhi 110003. Any film featured in these monthly screenings will automatically become eligible for consideration for special awards at our annual event.
Parallel Parking
Dechen, an undocumented worker, and Oscar, a reckless truck driver plagued by addiction, are immigrants to the United States who arrived under traumatic circumstances. Oscar teaches Dechen to drive, and Dechen provides companionship and support to Oscar through his failing health. Their relationship develops and deepens across identity differences due to reciprocity and their shared love of food.
| Aby Rao | Director |
| Aby Rao | Writer |
| Preeti Vidwans | Producer |
| Aby Rao | Producer |
House of Fortune
Rahil mohajer was buried alive by her husband and her father on her wedding night because they thought she wasn’t a virgin.
| Adel Mashoori | Director |
| Nassim Afsharpour | Writer |
| Alireza Mashoori | Producer |
| Nassim Afsharpour | Key Cast |
LASTCALL
| Mathieu Baillargeon | Director |
| Mathieu Baillargeon | Writer |
| Mathieu Baillargeon | Producer |
| Jennifer Wesse | Key Cast |
| Clément Victor | Key Cast |
BETELGEUSE
BETELGEUSE is a brightest star in the constellation Orion, marking the eastern shoulder of the hunter. It derives energy from the other stars in order to survive.
This film is a journey of a girl, “Chitra”, whose life is changed after an accident. Her career, her dreams are destroyed. The film depicts the choice that girl makes with the help of her family and some strangers meeting in the journey of life. She must fight to be a Betelgeuse. And once she is a Betelgeuse, the life becomes more meaningful and brighter.
| Sunder Konar | Director |
| Mayur Hardas | Writer |
| Ramkumar K | Producer |
| Mayur Hardas | Producer |
| Gayatri Datar,Ankit Nayar | Key Cast |
9 Days
AGONY
French film directed by Loïc Guinebault Duration: 10 minutes.
Synopsis: Migrants roam the Mediterranean in a canoe and one runs aground on the beach. A man regularly comes to the beach where the migrant is stranded and he ignores him. This film presents the difficulty of migrants coming to Europe by boat and once in our countries, they are dehumanized by the people who pass by in the street and who do not even look at them, they are ignored.
BAGHEERA
Indian film Directed by Chris Watson. Duration: 19 minutes.
Synopsis: Set on the unruly outskirts of Mumbai, Bagheera is the determined leader of an Indian Girl Scout troop, teaching her girls everything from first aid to snake handling. After a troop meeting one evening, Bagheera is abducted by a brutal assailant, Kaka (Uncle). He drives her to a run-down dairy, dumps her in an electrified cage and a twisted psychological battle ensues. However, Bagheera is named after the Black Panther of Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book and when the Empress of the Jungle is forced to take out her claws, things don’t go well for her opponents. Using her scouting skills, Bagheera outwits Kaka and exacts a scorching retribution. Highlighting the vulnerability of women in societies across the world, Bagheera reminds us that bravery and resourcefulness are powerful tools.
Madan Veri-breath of the Ghasis
Indian film Directed by Somnath Mondal; Duration: 33 minutes. Somnath Mondal has agreed to travel from Kolkata to address the Q&A Session.
Synopsis: This Docu-Fiction film is a factual documentation of the struggle to preserve the culture & heritage of Madan Veri alias ‘Turi’, a metallic blowing instrument producing a very loud and distinct sound, played by a singular sub-caste called ‘Ghasis’ during specific Hindu rituals or delivering some messages since centuries in the Manbhum region of the state of Jharkhand and West Bengal, India. The Ghasis (considered untouchables) are very poor. Their main occupation is playing Madan Veri besides animal husbandry (especially pig rearing) and working as agricultural laborers. People of Manbhum believe that the loud sound of Madan Veri is a clarion call to God from the earth, an appeal for all-encompassing blessings starting from the long life of the newborn to the safe passage of souls after death The Ghasis are generally called upon to play Madan Veri at rice ceremonies, marriage, funeral processions, Shraddh ceremonies, etc. However, with the advent of loudspeakers, orchestra, and DJ music, Madan Veri has lost its importance and sheen. Hence, many Ghasis are trying new professions or moving to other states as migrant laborers, for lack of a call for performing Madan Veri. Naturally, Madan Veri players have reduced significantly, now it’s hard to find one in need.
But a few Ghasis remain still dedicated and sincere in holding on to this age-old family tradition of fighting poverty. Herein lies the eternal dilemma of an artist – to choose a settled well-paid profession or to pursue the traditional culture. Time will say whether this giant wind instrument survives or is lost forever.
Rosalie and Cesar
French film directed by Joan Borderie Duration: 23 minutes.
Synopsis: In a small Mediterranean island village, it’s the last day of the last summer, of Rosalie, 18, at her father’s, César, 80. With her baccalaureate in hand, Rosalie will leave in a few hours to continue her studies in London. But that day, Rosalie and César lose their dog, Neptune. As they set off together in search of him, the tensions and the unspoken resurface.
Any Wednesday
Edmond Albius
Ramdeen (Now & Then)
Vadoba (INDIA)
Vadoba is a story about a school going kid (Kshitiya). Kshitiya in a precarious situation reaches a land which is not been visited by any of the villager……
What was that precarious situation which led him to that land?
Why any of the villagers have not visited that land so far?
What’s in store for Kshitiya’s future in that land?
| Vishal Sawant | Director |
| Vishal Sawant | Writer |
| Buzzing Bee Films & Entertainment | Producer |
One Last Breath
Synopsis: Robyn, a 42-year-old actress has just lost her son. As she is about to give up on life, she hears a mysterious guitar tune coming through the wall.
BELOSA
The film is about a tribal girl named Savitri and her society which is far away from economic, educational and social factors … Savitri’s father is arrested on false charges of theft and her mother also goes missing, in which Savitri struggles to live and find her mother …
| MANOJ HARIBHAU BHANGE | Director |
| MANOJ HARIBHAU BHANGE | Writer |
| MEENA SANTOSHKUMAR RUPANVAR | Producer |
| SHREEKANT VINAYAK DESHMUKH | Producer |
