Cinetrā Desk

We bring the latest festival and awards updates to our readers.

90 articles published

Articles by Cinetrā Desk

News

Kaushal Oza’s 'Little Thomas' set for October release

Kaushal Oza’s National Award-winning career leads to his feature debut, a 90s Goa-set children’s story with Gulshan Devaiah and Rasika Dugal this fall

September 14, 2026

Festivals

Anuparna Roy’s 'Lovers in the Blue Night' Wins Venice NETPAC

Anuparna Roy’s 'Lovers in the Blue Night' has won the NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film at Venice, a year after her Orizzonti Best Director win.

September 13, 2026

Festivals

Shalini Adnani’s Debut Wins Venice Critics’ Week Award

Shalini Adnani’s 'Our Share of Sand', an India-UK-Greece production, won the Audience Award at Venice Critics’ Week after its world premiere in Venice.

September 13, 2026

Festivals

Venice Unveils 2026 Awards Winners

May el-Toukhy’s 'Woman Unknown' wins Venice’s Golden Lion, with Lee Chang-dong, Ilya Khrzhanovsky and others taking top prizes.

September 12, 2026

Festivals

Rubaiyat Hossain’s 'The Difficult Bride' Wins Independent Critics Award at Venice

Rubaiyat Hossain’s The Difficult Bride has won the Premio Bisato d’Oro at Venice, adding an independent critics’ award to Bangladesh’s historic debut.

September 12, 2026

News

Venice Winner 'Songs of Forgotten Trees' Faces Censor Troubles

Anuparna Roy says India’s film board blocked *Songs of Forgotten Trees*, calling it a “threat to society” after its Venice success.

September 12, 2026

Festivals

Iranian Film 'Whisper My Name' Wins IFFJK Best Film

Films from Iran, India, Lebanon and Belgium featured among IFFJK's inaugural winners, alongside a dedicated award for cinema from Jammu & Kashmir.

September 11, 2026

Industry

Shweta Tripathi Wins WIF India x Gold House Scholarship for TIFF 2026

Shweta Tripathi, selected for the WIF India and Gold House Scholarship, will present her debut feature as a producer at TIFF 2026 in Toronto this year.

September 10, 2026

Awards

Three Indian Films Earn Nominations at APSA

Three Indian films, alongside Nepal’s *Elephants in the Fog*, are among the nominees for the 19th Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

September 9, 2026

Festivals

Seven Indian Films Headline TIFF’s 2026 Slate

TIFF’s seven Indian films span regional cinema, genre, restoration and new voices, while Indian projects also enter the festival’s inaugural market.

September 9, 2026

Festivals

'Our Share of Sand' Makes Strong Venice Debut

Shalini Adnani’s debut earns positive reviews at Venice Critics’ Week, with praise for its child’s-eye view of class, labour and environmental cost.

September 8, 2026

Opportunities

Deadline Reminder: Fondazione Prada Film Fund

The Fondazione Prada Film Fund is accepting feature-film projects in development and post-production until Sept. 10, 2026, with grants up to €100,000.

September 8, 2026

News

National Film Awards move ceremony to Gujarat

The 72nd National Film Awards will leave Delhi for Ekta Nagar on Sept. 22, breaking a 72-year venue tradition as the awards remain delayed after COVID.

September 7, 2026

Industry

Vindhya Gupta’s 'A Forward Society' Enters Venice College

Vindhya Gupta and producer Shilpi Agarwal’s 'A Forward Society' is among 12 projects selected for Venice’s Biennale College Cinema 2026-27 edition.

September 7, 2026

Festivals

Sriram Raghavan Joins IFFJK Jury

Sriram Raghavan joins IFFJK’s five-member jury as Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Ramesh Sippy are added as special guests at the festival in Srinagar today.

September 7, 2026

Festivals

IFFJK to open today with 'Dead Dog'

IFFJK opens today with Sarah Francis’ *Dead Dog*, followed by international competition, Indian films, masterclasses and industry sessions across J&K.

September 6, 2026

Festivals

Bhutanese Short 'A Song for the Snow Lion' Heads to Telluride

Pawo Choyning Dorji’s Bhutan-U.S. short *A Song for the Snow Lion* is playing in The Show, Telluride’s chief program, at the 2026 festival in Colorado.

September 5, 2026

Festivals

Rubaiyat Hossain’s 'The Difficult Bride' Enters BFI Competition

Rubaiyat Hossain’s _The Difficult Bride_ is among ten films competing for Best Film at the 70th BFI London Film Festival, from Oct. 7-18 in London, UK.

September 4, 2026

News

'Days and Nights in the Forest' Returns in 4K

Satyajit Ray’s *Days and Nights in the Forest* is now streaming on Criterion Channel in a new 4K restoration, following its Cannes Classics premiere.

September 4, 2026

News

Pakeezah Restored in 4K for Global Premieres

Film Heritage Foundation has restored Kamal Amrohi’s *Pakeezah* in 4K, with the restored film set for premieres in Lyon and London during October 2026.

September 4, 2026

Festivals

Switch Off Heads to Fantastic Fest 2026

_Switch Off_, Sandeep Francis’ psychological thriller, heads to Fantastic Fest 2026 for its US premiere after a Jury’s Choice win at Bucheon this year.

September 3, 2026

Industry

Five Indian Filmmakers Join Platform Busan 2026

Five Indian indie filmmakers, including Garima Pura and Sourav Yadav, have been selected for Platform BUSAN 2026, running October 10–13 in South Korea.

September 3, 2026

Festivals

Two More Indian Indies Join Busan 2026

Two Indian indies, Chevittorma and About an Intimate Matter, join Busan 2026’s A Window on Asian Cinema lineup with world premieres.

September 3, 2026

Festivals

'The Calf Doll' First Haryanvi Film in BFI London Competition

Ankur Hooda’s _The Calf Doll_ becomes the first Haryanvi-language film selected for BFI London’s Grierson Award competition.

September 3, 2026

Festivals

India’s Venice Presence Spans Film and Market

India arrives at Venice with a feature in Orizzonti, a restored classic, an immersive competition title and one project seeking financing.

September 2, 2026

Festivals

Two More Indian Indies Head to Busan

Busan adds two Indian independent features to its 2026 programme, with Ladakhi ice-hockey drama B_irds on Ice_ among the world premieres.

September 1, 2026

News

Delhi’s India Habitat Centre Launches 35mm Film Club

Delhi’s India Habitat Centre has launched a dedicated 35mm Film Club, opening with Manoj Kumar’s _Kranti_ in its original celluloid format on August 31.

August 31, 2026

Industry

Three Indian Projects Head to Toronto Market

Subhadra Mahajan, Neeraj Churi and Payal Kapadia are attached to three Indian projects selected for South Asian Screen Futures at TIFF’s new market.

August 29, 2026

News

Bombay HC Clears Bandar For OTT Release

Bombay HC clears Anurag Kashyap’s *Bandar* for OTT, with Hindi and English disclaimers after a woman challenged its release.

August 28, 2026

Festivals

Inaugural Jammu and Kashmir IFF Announces ₹96 Lakh Cash Awards

IFFJK’s inaugural edition will screen 135 films from 41 countries, with a five-member jury and ₹96 lakh in cash awards across nine categories.

August 28, 2026

Opportunities

CineNow Opens $150M Film Fund to India

CineNow has opened its film-financing pipeline to Indian filmmakers, writers and producers, with submissions now accepted through its online portal.

August 27, 2026

Industry

Parallax Boards Anuparna Roy’s Venice Film

Anuparna Roy’s Venice-bound _Lovers in the Blue Night_ has secured international sales representation from Parallax ahead of its world premiere.

August 27, 2026

Festivals

Restored Teesri Kasam to Open NZ Indian Film Festival

Restored _Teesri Kasam_ will open New Zealand’s first Indian film festival, while _Pakeezah_ will close it.

August 26, 2026

Festivals

Nepali Debut "Tiniharu" Wins Two Awards at New Zealand IFF

Nepali debut *Tiniharu* wins two awards at NZIFF, extending its Cannes run, while Indian film *Sabar Bonda* also featured in Fresh.

August 26, 2026

Festivals

Tamil Debut "Selvi" Joins Busan’s Vision–Asia Lineup

Sailesh Rathnakumar’s debut *Selvi*, led by Anjali Patil, will world premiere at Busan, exploring the unseen lives of home-care workers.

August 24, 2026

Festivals

Hansal Mehta Returns to Busan as Producer With Punjabi Debut Birds in the Dark

Shashank Walia’s black-and-white Punjabi feature explores gender, caste, labour, justice and love, marking a major international launch for the emerging filmmaker.

August 24, 2026

News

BFI-Backed India–UK Project Reimagines Colonial Archives With AI

A BFI-backed India–UK project uses generative AI, gaming and archival footage to reimagine colonial images of India from a South Asian perspective.

August 23, 2026

Festivals

Two Major Indian Restorations to Screen at New York Film Festival

Pradip Krishen’s *In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones* and John Abraham’s *Amma Ariyan* join the 64th New York Film Festival’s Revivals section.

August 22, 2026

Opportunities

Sundance and TikTok Launch Global Micro-Series Challenge

Sundance and TikTok invite global creators to submit short-form series for five $5,000 grants and a chance to pitch directly to TikTok.

August 22, 2026

Festivals

Indian Short "Abhinetri" Joins San Sebastián Competition

Tanmay and Tanvi Chowdhary’s *Abhinetri* joins San Sebastián’s Zabaltegi-Tabakalera alongside Cannes and Berlinale short-film winners.

August 22, 2026

Industry

Indian filmmaker wins Asian Short Film Fund support

Indian filmmaker Suchana Saha’s How to Eat Tomatoes wins support from the 2026 Asian Short Film Fund, alongside filmmakers from Malaysia and China too.

August 21, 2026

Festivals

Locarno Announces 2026 Award Winners

Florin Șerban’s *You Don’t Belong Here* won the Golden Leopard at Locarno 2026, while Gurvinder Singh’s *Rehmat* went without an award.

August 16, 2026

Festivals

Rima Das’s Not a Hero wins Best Indie Film at IFFM

Rima Das’s Not a Hero wins Best Indie Film at IFFM 2026, marking her second win in the category after Bulbul Can Sing in 2019.

August 14, 2026

Opportunities

FFI opens submissions for 2027 Oscar race

The Film Federation of India has invited entries for India's official submission to the 99th Academy Awards' Best International Feature race.

August 12, 2026

Industry

TIFF’s New Financing Market Includes Five South Asia-Linked Projects

Deepa Mehta’s *Sher*, with Jeremy Irons attached, is among five India and South Asia-linked projects selected for TIFF’s new financing market.*

August 10, 2026

Industry

Hubert Bals Fund backs two Indian projects

IFFR's Hubert Bals Fund selects two Indian projects for 2026 Development Support as it expands the scheme from 15 to 20 recipients.

August 9, 2026

Festivals

Amma Ariyan heads to TIFF Classics after Cannes

John Abraham’s _Amma Ariyan_, restored in 4K by Film Heritage Foundation, will have its North American premiere at TIFF Classics after Cannes.

August 9, 2026

Festivals

Two Indian Shorts Join TIFF 2026 Short Cuts

Shaunak Sen and Rahul Roye will represent India in TIFF 2026's Short Cuts with the world premieres of *Termite* and *Aman*.

August 8, 2026

Festivals

Malayalam Feature Half to Premiere in TIFF Midnight Madness

Samjad P. S.‘s _Half_ will make its world premiere in TIFF’s Midnight Madness, becoming the latest Indian feature selected for Toronto.

August 7, 2026

News

1942: A Love Story to Return to Cinemas in Restored 8K Version

Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s _1942: A Love Story_ returns to cinemas on 21 August in a newly restored 8K version with remastered Dolby 5.1 sound.

August 6, 2026

Festivals

TIFF Centrepiece Spotlights Indian, Nepali Cinema

Karthik Subbaraj's *Dorothy* and Abinash Bikram Shah's *Elephants in the Fog* lead South Asian representation in TIFF's Centrepiece section.

August 4, 2026

Industry

Two Indian Projects Selected for Busan’s Asian Project Market

Tribeny Geeta Rai and Dominic Sangma’s new projects have been selected for Busan’s Asian Project Market, chosen from over 640 submissions.

July 30, 2026

Opportunities

River to River Florence Indian Film Festival Opens Final Call for Entries

River to River Florence Indian Film Festival is accepting entries until 1 September for Indian features, shorts and documentaries.

July 30, 2026

Opportunities

IFFI Opens Entries for Best OTT Award

IFFI has opened entries for its Best Web Series (OTT) Award, with submissions for eligible Indian series accepted until 10 August 2026.

July 28, 2026

Industry

Payal Sethi’s Kurinji Selected for Venice Gap-Financing Market 2026

Payal Sethi’s India-France-Germany co-production _Kurinji_ is among the 66 projects selected for the Venice Gap-Financing Market 2026.

July 25, 2026

Festivals

Venice 2026 Announces Competition and Orizzonti Selections

The festival will host world premieres from Martin McDonagh, Florian Zeller and Lee Chang-dong, with India's Anuparna Roy selected for Orizzonti.

July 23, 2026

Festivals

Anuparna Roy Returns to Venice with Lovers in the Blue Night

A year after making history at Venice, Indian filmmaker Anuparna Roy returns to the festival with her sophomore feature _Lovers in the Blue Night_.

July 23, 2026

Opportunities

Indian Panorama 2026 Opens for Entries

NFDC has opened submissions for Indian Panorama 2026. Feature, non-feature and debut films can apply until 10 August for IFFI's flagship showcase.

July 22, 2026

Festivals

Theja Rio’s Angh Selected for TIFF Platform Competition

Theja Rio’s _Angh_, shot on 16mm in Nagaland, will make its world premiere in TIFF’s Platform competition, celebrating bold directorial voices.

July 21, 2026

Festivals

Richie Mehta’s Phoolan Heads to TIFF 2026

Richie Mehta’s _Phoolan_ will have its world premiere in the Special Presentations section at the 2026 Toronto International Film Festival.

July 21, 2026

Festivals

Shalini Adnani's “Our Share of Sand” Selected for Venice Critics' Week

Shalini Adnani's debut feature *Our Share of Sand* will world premiere in competition at the 2026 Venice Critics' Week.

July 21, 2026

Festivals

TIFF unveils Gala and Special Presentations slate

TIFF has unveiled its Gala and Special Presentations slate, featuring new films by Danny Boyle, Pedro Almodóvar, Jesse Eisenberg and more.

July 20, 2026

Opportunities

WAVES Film Bazaar opens entries for Screenwriters’ Lab 2026

WAVES Film Bazaar has opened applications for its Screenwriters’ Lab 2026. Feature fiction writers can apply until August 4.

July 19, 2026

Festivals

Danny Boyle's "Ink" to Open Venice, Giovanni Veronesi's "Dio ride" to Close

Danny Boyle's *Ink* will open the Venice Film Festival, while Giovanni Veronesi's *Dio ride* has been chosen as the closing film.

July 19, 2026

Awards

72nd National Film Awards announce 2024 winners

The 72nd National Film Awards named *Article 370* Best Film, with Mammootty, Kartik Aaryan and Yami Gautam among top winners.

July 18, 2026

Opportunities

Netflix Launches NextGen India Writers' Program for Emerging Screenwriters

Netflix India has opened applications for its NextGen Writers' Program, offering emerging Hindi screenwriters mentorship and a chance to pitch.

July 18, 2026

News

Punjab Villages Turn Satluj Screenings into a Grassroots Cinema Movement

Community screenings of **_Satluj_** are drawing crowds across Punjab, transforming the film’s removal from streaming into a shared public event.

July 16, 2026

Industry

Indian Project Makes Asian Short Film Fund Shortlist

Indian animator Suchana Saha's *How to Eat Tomatoes* is the only Indian project shortlisted for the 2026 Asian Short Film Fund in Hong Kong.

July 16, 2026

Festivals

Dev Benegal's English, August Returns to Venice in 4K

Dev Benegal's **_English, August _**returns in a 4K restoration at Venice Classics, extending Film Heritage Foundation's global preservation run.

July 15, 2026

News

Anurag Kashyap Launches Curated Short Film Platform

Anurag Kashyap has launched *Oh Flip Shorts*, a curated YouTube platform dedicated to independent short films, beginning with *Incognito*.

July 14, 2026

News

From TIFF Withdrawal to ZEE5 Takedown: The Long Journey of Satluj

ZEE5 removed **_Satluj_** within 48 hours of release, extending a turbulent journey that began with its withdrawal from TIFF in 2023.

July 14, 2026

Awards

HBO Max and Apple TV+ Dominate 2026 Emmy Race

HBO Max and Apple TV+ emerged as the biggest winners in the 2026 Emmy nominations, underlining the industry's shift towards fewer, prestige dramas.

July 13, 2026

Opportunities

Fondazione Prada Opens Global Film Fund Call

Fondazione Prada's Film Fund is inviting feature film projects worldwide, offering production support to independent filmmakers across all genres.

July 13, 2026

Festivals

Gurvinder Singh’s Rehmat Heads to Locarno Main Competition

Gurvinder Singh's Rehmat will world premiere in Locarno's Main Competition, with Naseeruddin Shah leading the cast. India returns to the race.

July 13, 2026

Awards

Rohan Kanawade's Sabar Bonda Wins FIPRESCI-India Grand Prix 2025

Rohan Kanawade's **_Sabar Bonda_** has won the FIPRESCI-India Grand Prix 2025, topping the critics' annual list of India's best films.

June 30, 2026

Industry

Payal Sethi's 'Babak' Selected for Busan Asian Cinema Fund Script Development Programme

The Germany-India co-production follows an Afghan refugee in Germany and will receive script support and industry exposure in Busan.

June 29, 2026

News

Vishal Bhardwaj, Sreekar Prasad among six Indians invited to join the Academy

Six Indian film professionals have been invited to join the Academy's 2026 membership class and vote for the Oscars

June 25, 2026

Festivals

Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, Switch Off Join BIFAN 2026 Line-Up

Dominic Arun's Dulquer Salmaan-produced fantasy **_Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra_** and Sandeep Francis' **_Switch Off_** are among the Indian selections at BIFAN 2026.

June 23, 2026

Festivals

Poland's Silver Wins Top Honour at MIFF 2026

Polish documentary **_Silver_** won MIFF 2026's Golden Conch, while **_Small Clouds_** and Iran's **_Under the Snow_** topped the short fiction categories.

June 21, 2026

Festivals

London Indian Film Festival to open with 52 Blue

Ali El Arabi’s **_52 Blue_**, following a football-obsessed young man from Kerala on a life-changing trip to the Qatar World Cup, will open LIFF 2026.

June 21, 2026

Festivals

Ridham Janve’s Hunter’s Moon Wins Best Screenplay at Shanghai IFF

Singapore director Anthony Chen-led jury awarded Ridham Janve's _**Hunter's Moon**_ Best Screenplay in Shanghai's Asian New Talent section.

June 21, 2026

Festivals

Nadav Lapid Withdraws from Marseille Jury After Boycott Campaign

Israeli filmmaker Nadav Lapid, who sparked controversy at IFFI Goa over _The Kashmir Files_, quits Marseille festival after boycott calls.

June 19, 2026

News

Christopher Nolan to Attend The Odyssey Mumbai Premiere

Christopher Nolan, Matt Damon and Tom Holland will attend the Mumbai premiere of _**The Odyssey **_ahead of its July 17 release.

June 17, 2026

News

‘The Voice of Hind Rajab’ Cleared for India Release After CBFC Reversal

Oscar-nominated The Voice of Hind Rajab has been cleared for release in India after the CBFC granted the film an ‘A’ certificate. The film opens in cinemas on June 19.

June 15, 2026

Festivals

MIFF 2026 brings Sundance, Cannes and TIFF discoveries to Mumbai

MIFF opens in Mumbai on June 15 with a line-up featuring films that have screened at Sundance, Cannes, TIFF and Berlinale.

June 13, 2026

Festivals

Karlovy Vary 2026: Indian Film in Proxima, Mrinal Sen Returns in Festival Retrospective

The 60th edition of the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival has selected Yashasvi Juyal’s The Ink-Stained Hand and the Missing Thumb for the Proxima Competition, the section focused on emerging and formally adventurous cinema.

June 11, 2026

Opportunities

Deadline Extended: Red Sea Souk Project Market 2026

The Red Sea Souk Project Market 2026 is now open for submissions, offering mentorship, industry meetings, travel support and access to US$210,000 in awards for selected feature film projects.

June 10, 2026

Festivals

Cannes 2026 announces winners

The 79th Cannes Film Festival concluded with a winners list that reaffirmed the festival’s long-standing appetite for politically charged storytelling, formally adventurous cinema and emerging filmmakers from outside the traditional centres of world cinema.

June 7, 2026

Festivals

Nepali Film Makes Cannes History with Jury Prize Win

Nepali cinema marked a historic breakthrough at the 79th Cannes Film Festival as Elephants in the Fog (Tiniharu), directed by Abinash Bikram Shah, became the first Nepali feature film to win a major prize at the festival.

June 7, 2026

Festivals

FTII Student Film Heads to Cannes’ La Cinef

Parchaave Massiah Raatan De (Shadows of the Moonless Nights), directed by FTII student Mehar Malhotra, has been selected for the prestigious La Cinef section, Cannes’ competitive programme dedicated to emerging filmmakers from film schools around the world.

June 7, 2026