I View World Film Festival 2025 starts today to celebrate cinema, identity and human rights

I View World Film Festival at Travancore Palace and PVR ECX Chanakya, is more than just a celebration of cinema—it’s a space for storytelling that challenges, inspires, and sparks conversation. Initially launched in New York by Engendered, it serves as a dynamic platform showcasing films that address human rights through stories of identity, inclusion, and societal change. Since its debut in India in 2016, it has become Delhi’s only festival dedicated to these themes, bringing together filmmakers, artistes, and changemakers, using the power of film to shed light on important global issues.

Festival director Myna Mukherjee, founder of Engendered, expressed her excitement about bringing the I View World Film Festival back to New Delhi, highlighting cinema as a powerful medium for sparking global conversations on identity, marginalisation, gender, justice, class, oppression, migration, and other pressing social issues. She shared “With I view World we aim to create global awareness of issues which needs a much-needed attention in today’s time and age.”

What will the I View World Film Festival feature?

The festival will open with the premiere of My Melbourne, an anthology film crafted by four renowned Indian filmmakers—Onir, Rima Das, Imtiaz Ali, and Kabir Khan. Collaborating with emerging talents from under-represented backgrounds, they bring to life stories of identity and belonging, rooted in real migrant experiences.

The red-carpet launch promises a star-studded evening, with attendees including Imtiaz Ali, Onir, Kabir Khan, Shiladitya Bora, Anusuya Sengupta, Tathagata Ghosh, Hansal Mehta, Rituparna Sengupta, Sanjay Suri, and Sharmila Tagore, among others.

Imtiaz Ali shared his views about the festival, “Cinema is a bridge that unites cultures and this is a testament to that. It’s rare to see a project that so seamlessly blends multiple narratives while staying true to a shared vision of inclusivity.”

Onir also shared, “In a world where we are constantly nurturing ‘othering’ and hate, this film seeks to dismantle the image of the enemy. Celebrate the Us that we are forgetting, nurture love and empathy with our film My Melbourne at I View World Film Festival.”

I View World Film Festival will feature the grand premiere of The Shameless and Puratwan: The Ancient. The Shameless, directed by Konstantin Bojanov, follows a woman’s escape from a brothel and her fight for freedom, earning Anasuya Sengupta the Un Certain Regard award at Cannes 2024. Puratwan: The Ancient, directed by Suman Ghosh, marks Sharmila Tagore’s return to Bengali cinema, exploring memory, identity, and reconciliation through a woman’s journey back to her ancestral home.

The festival will conclude with Five Films for Freedom, a global digital showcase of LGBTQIA+ stories, presented in partnership with the British Council and BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, offering free screenings to inspire solidarity and promote inclusivity worldwide.

The festival promises a comprehensive cinematic experience highlighting the powerful impact of cinema on society.

What: I View World Film Festival

Where: Travancore Palace and PVR ECX Chanakya

When: March 12 and 13 (5 pm onwards) | March 15 and 16 (3.30 pm onwards)

(Written by Addrita Sinha)