Chennai has slowly evolved into a hotspot that attracts travellers from around the world. Within the city’s repertoire of attractions, several popular festivals play an important role in drawing people to its vibrant embrace. Events such as Surf Turf, Latin Festival and more serve as vivacious celebrations of Chennai’s essence, bringing forth a fusion of local and global cultures. As the city develops and evolves, these festivals have also seen a metamorphosis.
Chennai International Film Festival
Celebrating global cinema, the Chennai International Film Festival (CIFF) is held every December. With each passing year, the event is growing bigger and better, attracting a lot of cinephiles. The 20th edition of the festival was held last year screening acclaimed movies including Triangle of Sadness and Tchaikovsky’s Wife.
“We are one of the biggest film festivals in India and our film selections are also very different, bringing the best world cinema to the city. From the first edition to the current, we have grown a lot both in terms of quality and attendance,” says E Thangaraj, general secretary of Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation (ICAF), which organises the festival.
Talking about future plans, he adds, “Earlier, we only had a competition for Tamil films but from next year, we will start a competition for world cinema. With the support we are getting, we are planning to expand and get film directors from abroad to showcase their work.”
Covelong Classic Surf Fitness and Music Festival
The tiny fishing village of Kovalam is now synonymous with the Covelong Classic Surf Fitness and Music Festival, which is held every year and brings together local and international participants along with national-level surfers. This year, the eighth edition of the festival was held with around 30,000 participants, compared to the 20,000 attendees in 2022. Talking about the festival, which has grown from a small event to a massive celebration,
Arun Vasu, president of the Surfing Federation of India and the founder of Covelong Surf Turf, says, “When we first started in 2012, it was a small event to promote surfing. But now, the festival has grown bigger. We have better infrastructure and the surfing has also become more organised. It is one of the key surfing events in India with 80 national surfers attending it this year.”
Sharing details about their future plans, he says, “Each year, we try to do something different. This year, we had different activities like obstacle races and we also mixed up yoga with different formats like dancing. Next year, we will add new elements. We are also thinking of merging the World Surfing League (that happens after the event), and the festival.”
Erotica
A few years ago, a play dealing with a taboo topic came to Chennai and was banned, and that gave B Charles the idea to start Erotica, a yearly event that stages plays on taboo topics. In a city where theatre adaptations of Shakespeare and comedies take centre stage, Charles wanted to bring forth the reality of daily life and explore topics like gender fluidity and sexuality. This February will mark the sixth edition of the festival.
“Erotica is an event that we do once a year, so it remains a premium offering. We always had a huge response for the event in every city we travelled to. The shows have evolved with time and we are also gaining sensitivity to many topics. Also, we didn’t want to restrict to stories of man and woman (like how erotica is usually perceived), but include stories of different communities. Last year, we showcased LGBTQIA+ stories and we are constantly trying to change the audience’s perspective,” says Charles.
The Little Festival
The 12th rendition of The Little Festival, hosted in July at the Anna Centenary Library, enjoyed resounding success as every seat was taken. The six-day festival showcased a South Korean production alongside an Indian play by the Little Theatre Foundation, drawing an audience of around 1,200 enthusiasts for every performance.
“Compared to early years, we are looking for more travelling productions now. Our shows are fantastic when compared to international standards and over the years, the festival has grown in terms of quality of production, and stories. We are growing each year and we have amazing talent in the city,” says Aysha Rau, Managing Trustee at the Little Theatre.
Sharing with us about future plans for the festival, she adds, “We just need better infrastructure and we are trying to get more countries and popular troops to perform here.”
Latin Festival Madras
A vibrant homage to Latin culture, at the Latin Festival Madras, participants gather to take part in dance, merriment, and delectable cuisine. It hosted its 10th edition this year, welcoming an eclectic assembly of 250 participants, hailing from both within the nation and from distant shores.
Talking about the journey of the festival, Arun Srinivasan, who is also the founder of the dance school, Salsa Madras, says, “We started with less than 10 artistes and approximately 60 participants. From there to 200 plus participants, we have seen growth in all spheres. The percentage of international participation has also increased. We have been able to provide a good dancing experience to people from the start and that has evolved with many regulars attending the event.”
Sharing about the future of the festival, he adds, “From next year, we will make it a more learning-specific experience. We will have more progressive learning methods and intensive training sessions.”