16th edition of the IAWRT Asian Women’s Film Festival comes to Delhi  

The International Association of Women in Radio & Television (IAWRT) is holding the 16th edition of the Asian Women's Film Festival in Delhi from 4-7 March at the India international Centre.

The films being screened at the festival have garnered important awards and travelled to prestigious international film festivals. The opening film, Shut Up Sona, by Deepti Gupta follows singer Sona Mohapatra, while she battles and confronts blatant and insidious sexism in the world of music.

The closing film, Honey, Rain and Dust by UAE filmmaker, Nujoom Al Ghanem, observes three honey hunters working in the mountainous desert terrain of north UAE. The film gives us a picture of the UAE, that is far removed from the image we have of hyper-constructed, shimmering cities of the Gulf. 

The festival will be screening feature length documentary films, short fiction and documentary films, animation films and experimental films. Many of these are student films, that give us a wonderful glimpse into the ways in which young students are engaging with the craft of filmmaking in fresh exciting ways.

Some of the key concerns being addressed in the films are those of citizenship, identity and migration, concerns that filmmakers across the continent are also grappling with. Another theme that has emerged from the selected films, is the coming of age of girls. 

A section on women and photography has been organised, where an archivist from Turkey will present her work of archiving family albums and studio photographs to excavate hidden histories. Two young women photographers will present their work,which is set in the context of conflict and resistance in India. 

Entry to the festival is free and open to all.