Regional films help rediscover India: Filmmaker Aruna Vasudev at Habitat Film Festival inauguration

The Habitat Film Club of the India Habitat Centre (IHC) inaugurated the 13th edition of the Habitat Film Festival, which showcases the best of Pan Indian Cinema, yesterday (17 May) at IHC in New Delhi.

The inauguration was held at IHC’s Stein Auditorium at 6.30pm. Vidyun M Singh, director programmes, Habitat World, IHC delivered the welcome address. She dedicated her address to critic Aruna Vasudev and professor Ira Bhasker and commended the scholars for their contribution in the establishment and progress of the festival over the years.

IHC felicitated Vasudev and Bina Paul, artistic director, International Film Festival Kerala, who lit the ceremonial inaugural lamp along with Sunit Tandon, director, IHC.

The inaugural ceremony was followed by a conversation between Paul and Vasudev on the latter's contributions to the development of Asian Cinema, its scholarship, and worldwide representation in festival circuits.

Sobriqueted as the 'Mother of Asian Cinema', Vasudev is a prolific film critic, author, editor, painter, documentary filmmaker, and scholar of Asian Cinema. Founder of film magazine Cinemaya (since 1988) and the NETPAC award, Vasudev has also served as director of Osian’s Connoisseurs of Art Private Limited and been on the jury of several acclaimed international film festivals.

She is a recipient of the Korean Cinema award at the Pusan International Film Festival (1997), Italian Star of Solidarity medal (2004), Lifetime Achievement award at Cinemalia International Film Festival, Chevalier of Arts and Letters (France), and the Lifetime Achievement award at the 2nd International Film Festival of Colombo.

Talking about Habitat Film Festival, Vasudev said, “I would like to congratulate the Habitat Film Festival as it focusses on Indian films. There are so many regional films that you cannot see in cinema halls. These films help you rediscover India and also look within yourself.”

The conversation was followed by the screening of the opening film, Kaushik Ganguly's Drishtikone.

The Habitat Film Festival 2018 will be held from 17-28 May, at the India Habitat Centre where it will showcase established and upcoming talent from Pan Indian Cinema, along with hosting a series of retrospective, tributes, masterclasses, and panel discussions.