admin In the march towards the return of some semblance of normalcy, International Film Festivals are making a quick come back. Several Film Festivals have been announced recently highlighting the highly appraised films of the by-gone year. DIFF was the latest addition to this list.
Details on DIFF
DIFF was started in 2012 by Sarin and Tenzing Sonam to expose local audiences to meaningful independent cinema, and encourage regional filmmaking talent. The Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) has launched its year-round programme for 2021 with the ‘DIFF Virtual Viewing Room: Films from the Oscar Season’ with six much-talked-about movies — ‘Apples’, ‘Atlantis’, ‘The Dissident’, ‘Night of the Kings’, ‘Quo Vadis, Aida?’ and ‘Two of Us’. This selection of six films curated by veteran film programmer Anu Rangachar will stream for one week from April 2 to 8 on the online DIFF platform. DIFF is collaborating with Gratitude Films Inc. for this initiative.
DIFF’s festival director Ritu Sarin stated, “As the pandemic continues to rage around the world, DIFF is programming a series of online film packages throughout the year so that our audiences can continue to have the opportunity to watch a wide range of films from the comfort of their homes.” Rangachar, the creator and owner of Gratitude Films Inc. asserted, “I launched my company Gratitude Films during the pandemic. I am excited to bring some of the most talked-about Oscar contenders this year from around the world to audiences in India.”
A Taste of World-Class Cinema
‘Apples’, directed by Christos Nikou was Greece’s official Oscar entry for the Best International Feature Film category. This surreal comedy-drama is an exploration of memory, identity and loss through the eyes of the middle-aged Aris. The viewing room will stream one of the most acclaimed docu-thrillers, Bryan Fogel-directed ‘The Dissident’. The documentary is about the international cover-up behind the murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi and captures the dangers of speaking truth to power. The movie ‘Night of the Kings’ is inspired by a real-life tradition at the secluded MACA prison in the Ivory Coast, where one inmate is chosen to tell a story to the others.
Bosnian movie ‘Quo Vadis, Aida?’ directed by Jasmila Žbanic, is nominated in the Best International Feature Film category of the Oscars 2021. It is about Aida, who works as a translator for the UN in the small town of Srebrenica. France’s official Oscar entry for the Best International Feature Film category, ‘Two Of Us’, is about Nina and Madeline, two retirees who have been secretly in love for decades. All these films have been successful in leaving an indelible mark on the audience members.
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