The 9th edition of the Osian’s-Cinefan Film Festival of Asian and Arab cinema will be held at the NCPA in Mumbai on June 8.

The premiere, in association with the government of national capital territory of Delhi, comes at a time when Osian’s is making a foray into film production and financing budding filmmakers directors. The archive and auction house will also inaugurate its art and film complex, Osianama (formerly Minerva Cinema), early next year.

Aruna Vasudev, president of Osian’s Cinefan explained that the idea behind the film festival was to showcase great cinema as a way to explore other cul tures and “learn more about our own perceptions and attitudes”.

“India may have great passion for cinema. But that is different from having proper infrastructure and a support system for cinema as a great intellectual and cultural experience. We are building that missing intellectual base,” added chairman of Osian’s, Neville Tuli.

The day-long event will showcase six Asian and Arabic films and two exhibitions – one on the apprising of 1857 and another on Japanese posters of world cinema. A forum discussion on the relevance of film festivals will also be held, where personalities like Pritish Nandy, Anurag Kashyap, Sudhir Mishra and others will speak. The Manganiyar orchestra will perform the Manganiyar Seduction at the festival finale. [link]