Mumbai: An industry where opportunities are plenty, but finding a good fit proves to be a challenge, the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) provides a platform to those who seek a stepping stone in their journey.At the opening ceremony of the 19th MIFF, three films were screened: ‘Time and Water’, a documentary by Sara Dosa, ‘Agapito’, a short film by Arvin Belarmino and Kyla Danelle Romero, and ‘Good Luck To You All’, a short film by Cordell Barker.Stating MIFF’s purpose, Prakash Magdum, the managing director of National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC), said, “This is not just a festival. It is a space where a filmmaker from a remote village gets the chance to distribute his story to audiences in India, as well as abroad.”On June 15, the MIFF’s inaugural ceremony pooled in film enthusiasts, dignitaries, and participants at Ravindra Natya Mandir in Prabhadevi, and is set to screen 346 films, including documentaries, short films and animation, from 46 countries throughout this week till June 21 at the NFDC, Cumballa Hill. Organised by the NFDC under the ministry of information and broadcasting, MIFF is South Asia’s oldest and largest festival dedicated to non-feature films.Focusing on the festival’s selections, Chanchal Kumar, the secretary at the ministry of information and broadcasting, in his speech, said, “MIFF reminds us that what we see on screen is also a perception of reality”. One such reminder was through the short film Agapito (2025), whose cast and crew members told TOI about how its director, Belarmino, drew inspiration from his own family and his personal experience to direct the film, and said that if it were not for platforms such as MIFF, independent films would not thrive as much as they are now.This year, the festival has a special segment called ‘AI Cinema Hackathon’, showing AI-made films. The festival also curated a special package of Marathi and Northeastern films to bring rich cultures into prominence. The minister of cultural affairs, Ashish Shelar, who was also among the dignitaries present, said, “I feel these three formats of filmmaking are a challenge in itself,” and appreciated that MIFF decided to incorporate regional language films to their diverse list.Among the other dignitaries present were L Murugan, minister of state in the ministry of parliamentary affairs of India, and actor Jaideep Ahlawat.
