Time for movie lovers to cheer! After much speculation, ifs and buts, Osian’s annual film festival – Cinefan — opens this Saturday in Delhi. I, for one, am thrilled that the time of the festival has been moved to breezy October from stuffy July, and that the lineup certainly seems more streamlined. There are fewer films this year than the upwards of 100 that are usually selected for screening, and hopefully, a smaller number would mean better quality of films. In the last few years, Cinefan — whether to boost the number of films or to make some filmmakers happy, I don’t know – has screened too many films at too many venues; not all of them good, and some absolutely terrible  — there have been a few that I kicked myself for picking over others that I had to forgo.

While many of us at film festivals are in the habit of watching and leaving, or, in my case, hopping over to the next screening of the day, this year, I may just take it easy and savour some of the interesting panel discussions on offer. Clubbed under the term ‘Osian’s Learning Experience’, the lineup this year (a mix of a bunch from East Europe, a significant number from India, with a focus on ‘new cinema’) will be supplemented by the efforts of filmmaker Mani Kaul (the festival’s newly appointed Director General) and the festival directors to add weight to ‘in depth’ discussions that usually tend to get rather mundane at film festivals. 

But few will turn away from a discussion that will bring together a bunch of exciting filmmakers in Hindi cinema – Vishal Bhardwaj, Anurag Kashyap, Zoya Akhtar, Imtiaz Ali, Raj Kumar Gupta and Dibakar Banerjee will speak on ‘new cinema’ and what makes them part of this supposedly new category of filmmaking. A few film scholars from JNU will also get the opportunity to present a paper on some of the key films at the festival. A varying perspective of this sort from speakers of different scales in the field could make an interesting package. For a film festival to grow and flourish, weaving in concrete material on cinema to heighten curiosity around the subject is important. It’s also good to continue to encourage the audience to raise questions and offer their perspective, because cinema always works best when it is presented as inclusive. A film festival is one of the few platforms that can bridge the gap. 

Oh, and forget not, we’ll also get to see India’s Oscar entry Harishchandrachi Factory and why it made the cut.

My only concern: the festival has introduced a Rs 300 registration fee (including the catalogue) after which tickets to all movies will be free but will have to be collected from the ticket counter on a first-come, first-served basis. In my experience, some of the most sought after films at the festival always go houseful, sold out two days in advance. Cinefan loyals are rather in the habit of paying a minimal or no registration fee and thereafter purchasing tickets for a mere Rs 20. We are talking about an audience here who takes for granted that film festivals and theatre mostly work around the ‘free entry’ approach. Would a relatively high registration fee with no assurance of tickets irk some? We hope not.