The second edition of the three-day Darjeeling Film Festival will open in Kurseong on October 30, celebrating locally produced films, regional filmmakers and cultural narratives from the Hills and neighbouring Sikkim. Titled “The Stories of Our Hills”, the festival is organised by the Living the Culture Foundation (LCF) and will be held at the 3rd Mile Busty Community Hall in Deorali, Kurseong.
The festival aims to bridge the gap between local filmmakers and audiences by providing a platform for films that have earned recognition at national and international levels but remain relatively unknown in the region that produced them.
LCF founding member Mingma Tshering Lepcha said the idea emerged from his experience of attending film festivals in cities, where films made by young filmmakers from the region were screened while audiences back home remained largely unaware of their achievements. “As a film maker who studied the craft, I used to attend film festivals in the cities with my batchmates. I saw films made by our youth being showcased there, something that was entirely missing back home. Our region is filled with unique cultures and stories told through these films, which are now gaining national and international recognition. Yet, when we return home, we realise our own people barely know they exist,” he said.
The festival will primarily focus on short films, alongside select feature-length productions. The short film line-up includes “Knock Knock Knock”, “Setho Ghari”, “Dhantey Khata”, “Crossing Borders”, “Bihan-Another Morning”, “Xunyota-Void”, “Death Certificate”, “Ek Dhakar Jiwan”, “Kholai Sangai” and “Doko Ko Chahari”. Feature films to be screened include “Acharya”, “Dhurba Tara”, “Paral ko Agu”, “Bahadur – The Brave” and “Youngster”.
Lepcha noted that several of the short films, including “Knock Knock Knock”, “Setho Ghari” and “Dhantey Khata”, have won awards yet remain little known among local audiences. “These films are rooted in our culture and traditions, earning recognition elsewhere because they offer something entirely fresh to outside audiences. At the same time, we believe that if our own people get to see them, they will deeply resonate with these stories,” he said.
Beyond the screenings, the festival will feature panel discussions, felicitation ceremonies, a poetry session, a theatre performance and a student film competition. Some of the feature-length productions have been included as part of an effort to celebrate retrospective cinema, Lepcha added.
The foundation has received sustained support from people across different professions and backgrounds since organising its inaugural festival in Kurseong. “When we first launched this initiative in Kurseong, the overwhelming response took us by surprise. This time, as we gathered in a community hall to hold the program, the local support has been heart-warming for which we are grateful,” he said, adding that since the foundation’s inception last year, it had drawn a diverse community together from different professions and backgrounds.
Original Source: https://www.sikkimexpress.com/news-details/darjeeling-film-festival-to-celebrate-cinema-from-hills-sikkim
Category:
Tags:
Publish Date:
