Third Eye Asian Film Festival opens its eyes for the 21^st time on January 10

A regular fixture for Mumbaikars and environs inhabitants, a hallmark of Maharashtra's film culture, the Third Eye Asian Film Festival will be held from January 10th to January 16, 2025, in Mumbai and Thane, at the outskirts of Mumbai city. A curated selection of 61 films will be screened at MovieMax Theatres in Andheri, Sion, and Thane. The festival will open with the Chinese film 'The Black Dog', which won the Best Film award in the ‘Un Certain Regard’ category at the Cannes Film Festival.

While Hollywood and European films have become easily accessible to Indian audiences, Asian films, despite their global acclaim, often remain out of reach. To bridge this gap, the Asian Film Foundation initiated the Third Eye Asian Film Festival, with the first edition opening on August 3, 2002. Over the past two decades, this festival has become a prominent feature of Mumbai's cultural calendar.

In its 21st edition, the festival's Asian Spectrum section will showcase films from countries like China, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Tunisia, Japan, Iran, South Korea, and Sri Lanka. Additionally, six South Korean films will be featured in the Country Focus segment.

The festival will also highlight Indian cinema, with a dedicated competition section for Marathi films. Eleven films in languages such as Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, Bengali, and Assamese will be included in the Indian segment. Notable entries include Jhanjhaarpur (directed by Naveen Chandra), Pai Tang (directed by Prabal Khuand), and Juiphool (directed by Jadumoni Dutta).

The Marathi competition section will feature eight films:

Asha (Dir. Deepak Patil)

Cineman (Dir. Umesh Bagade)

Karmayogi Abasaheb (dir. Altaf Shaikh)

Gypsy (Dir. Shashi Khandare)

Bhera (Dir. Shrikant Bhide)

Magic (Dir. Ravi Karmarkar)

Mandal Abhari Aahe (Dir. Vidyasagar Adhyapak)

Chhabila (Dir. Anil Bhalerao)

Renowned lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar will receive the Asian Cinema Culture Award, while journalist Rafique Baghdadi will be honored with the Satyajit Ray Memorial Award. In memory of the late Sudhir Nandgaonkar, a special award for film writing will be presented to film scholar Anil Zankar.

The festival will pay tribute to the late filmmaker Shyam Benegal by screening a selection his films. Additionally, to commemorate Raj Kapoor's birth centenary, his iconic films will also be showcased.

The event will include open forums with jury members, masterclasses with directors and technicians, and film screenings.

Delegate Registration has begun on the official website, www.thirdeyeasianfilmfestival.com. The Registration fee is 1,000 /- and for film Society members & students, the discounted fee is Rs 750/-.