Veham

Hassan Amin / HBO Short Film Competition / Pakistan / 2016 / 14 mins

After waking up in an obscure room with no memory, MUNTAZIR finds a letter and, following its instructions, sets off only to find himself lost in the middle of nowhere. He asks the mysterious JABBAR for directions who again pops up when Muntazir reaches his destination. The two develop an uncanny companionship with Muntazir opening up to his new friend. As more envelopes are delivered, Muntazir fights to regain his memory about where he is and who exactly is Jabbar.

Mantra

Nicholas Kharkongor / Feature Competition / India / 2016 / 90 mins

Kapil Kapoor, founded an iconic snack brand during the License Raj in India. Circa 2004, India is in throes of globalization and he is fighting a losing battle against a multinational that has taken over the market. Besides his company, he is desperately trying to save his wife and children who are battling crises of their own. For Kapil to hold onto things that are dear to him professionally and personally, he must confront and overcome demons of his own. Set in the midst of a nationwide India Shining campaign, Mantra tells the story of a family and its travails, and a sprawling and changing rapidly India.

Chidiya

Mehran Amrohi / Spectrum / India / 2016 / 112 mins

Two brothers, Shanu and Bua, aged 9 and 7 respectively, live in a chawl in Mumbai with their mother Vaishnavi. In need of money, Vaishnavi asks Bali Bhai, her kind brother-in- law who lives in the same chawl, to get Shanu and Bua a job with him. Bali Bhai, a spot boy in the film industry, takes the boys to his film set where they see the film's hero playing badminton. The kids don't get the job but they do get the shuttlecock and from there set out on a mission to build their own badminton court, buy racquets and play themselves. But sometimes it is the most ordinary, which is the hardest to accomplish.

Fri Afterparty @ DL (9:30PM)

Shor Se Shuruaat

SUPRIYA SHARMA, ARUNIMA SHARMA, RAHUL V. CHITTELLA, PRATIK RAJEN KOTHARI, AMIRA BHARGAVA, ANNIE ZAIDI, SATISH RAJ KASIREDDI / Closing Night / India / 130 mins

Shor se Shuruaat is an omnibus feature of mentored short films, around the central theme of “Shor”- noise. 7 films, from 7 different directors conveying 7 different stories on the same theme, The short films have been mentored by stalwarts like Mira Nair, Shyam Benegal, Imtiaz Ali, Zoya Akhtar, Nagesh Kukunoor, Sriram Raghavan and Homi Adajania.

Maroon

Pulkit / Feature Competition / India / 2016 / 92 mins

When an insomniac university professor’s wife goes missing, he slowly becomes delusional in his attempt to cope and his interaction with the outside world gradually enters a different plane of reality.

A Death in the Gunj

Konkona Sensharma / Opening Night / India / 2016 / 105 mins

Set in 1979, A Death in the Gunj is a coming of age story, about a shy student Shyamal Chatterjee. He uses a family road trip to McCluskiegunj, an old Anglo-Indian town, as an escape from his failed semester. At the outset, the makings of a perfect family holiday are in place but something is amiss. In the week that follows, Shutu's quiet unraveling is overlooked by the family revelers, until the holiday ends with an implosion.

Dobaara

Bejoy Nambiar / Spectrum / India / 2016 / 66 mins

22-year-old Parvathy is a free-spirited girl who loves to live life on her terms. However, when she is left with no option but to tie the knot with a man of her parents’ choice, her life takes a 360 degree turn. Mohan and Parvathy migrate, and this marks the beginning of their new life together. But Mohan’s priorities are clearly defined from the very start of their relationship. He invests all his time in his work. His intentions are pure; to build the perfect life for his family. But with a new addition to the family and as the years go by, Mohan gets further involved in his work. It is only after their son, Rohit, graduates that Parvathy decides to take a drastic step, shaking up her 20 years of marriage.