The Indian Film Festival Stuttgart, Europe's largest such event, has announced its line-up of films. The 18th edition of the festival will be held virtually from 21- 25 July and will showcase 40 feature films, short films and documentaries from all over India.
Jeo Baby's The Great Indian Kitchen will be the opening film of the festival. Girish Kasaravalli’s latest feature film Illiralare Allige Hogalaare — Can Neither Stay Here Nor Journey Beyond, The Tenant by Sushrut Jain, Gaurav Madan's debut feature Barah by Barah — 12 x 12 Untitled, Biswajeet Bora's Assamese feature God on the Balcony, Manny by Dace Puce, Koli Taal — The Chicken Curry by Abhilash Shetty and Not Today by Aditya Kripalani, among others, will be screened at the festival.
The documentary selection includes Breaking Barriers — The Casteless Collective by Maja Meiners; A Rifle And A Bag by Arya Rothe, Cristina Hanes and Isabella Rinaldi; the multiple-award-winning documentary Ritu Goes Online by Vrinda Samartha; and Watch over me by Farida Pacha.
The short films are grouped into four themes — Justice and Vigilante Justice, Mother/Daughter Relations, Historical and First Corona Shorts and Borderline Situations. The supporting programme includes Wanderlust Cinema, which will present rituals and traditions around Indian food along with an online concert with the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra (SKO) and young Indian musicians.
In addition, the digital Wanderlust Cinema will take audiences on a historic motorbike expedition from Vienna to Mumbai, which was undertaken by the Austrian long-distance motorcyclist Max Reisch in 1933. The programme also includes three fascinating train journeys through India in the TV programme Eisenbahnromantik by Southwest Broadcasting (SWR).
The festival will conclude with an award ceremony on 24 July where the winners of the German Star of India Awards will be announced. A prize of 7,000 Euros will be awarded in various categories.
Audiences are required to purchase a festival pass to view the films.