Pune to Host Three-Day Festival Showcasing India’s Diverse Contemporary Cinema

Pune, 19th August 2026: Film lovers in Pune will get an opportunity to explore the breadth of contemporary Indian cinema as the National Film Development Corporation–National Film Archive of India (NFDC-NFAI), FIPRESCI-India and Pune International Centre (PIC) jointly host the second edition of ‘Cinemas of India’ from August 21 to 23.

The three-day festival will be held at the NFDC-NFAI Auditorium on Law College Road and will feature 10 films spanning multiple Indian languages, regions and storytelling traditions.

Curated by film critic and writer Premendra Mazumdar, the festival’s selection includes Adamya by Ranjan Ghosh, Feminist Fathima by Fasil Muhammed, Gondhal by Santosh Davakhar, If on a Winter’s Night by Sanju Surendran and In the Name of Fire by Abhilash Sharma.

The remaining films are Magazine, directed by Shubham Sanjay Shevade; The Lost Path, directed by Khanjan Kishore Nath; Victoria, directed by Sivaranjini; Whispers of the Mountains, directed by Jigar Nagda; and Yakasi’s Daughter, directed by Jayanta Madhab Dutta.

A major focus of the festival is cinema emerging from languages that have comparatively limited representation in mainstream film circuits. The programme features works in Magadhi, Karbi, Rajasthani and Mising, alongside films in Bengali, Malayalam, Marathi and Hindi.

According to the organisers, the selection is intended to give audiences a window into different regional cultures, social realities and cinematic approaches from across India.

NFDC Managing Director Prakash Magdum said the country’s cinema mirrors its cultural diversity and expressed hope that the festival would enable viewers to discover filmmakers and stories that often remain outside the mainstream.

Dinanath Kholkar, Director of Pune International Centre, said cinema can facilitate dialogue and cultural understanding by bringing different ideas and experiences to audiences. He said the festival would provide an opportunity for people from different generations and cultural backgrounds to engage with one another through films.

Premendra Mazumdar, President of FIPRESCI-India, said the selection was designed to highlight the wide linguistic spectrum of Indian filmmaking.

The festival is aimed at encouraging film appreciation, critical discussion and cultural exchange. Entry will be free and seats will be available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Students, filmmakers, researchers, film enthusiasts and members of the public can attend the screenings at the NFDC-NFAI Auditorium, Phase I, Law College Road, Pune.