True-blue film buffs are always on the lookout for festivals where they can watch off-beat films. There have been several attempts by filmmakers in the city to put together a festival that provides a platform to showcase the works of talented filmmakers, many of whom don’t have the means to reach out to audiences. Paradox of Fiction International Film Festival, curated and hosted by Bizsensors infotech Pvt. Ltd, is one such endeavour. The event will be held on April 20 and will screen arthouse and independent films.
The films that will be screened are Elixir, The Call, The Number, Maharajin, and Saving Dragons . The Call , directed by Amogh Ravindra, is a loose adaptation of Lovecraftian/cosmic horror, and begins with a regular telephone conversation that turns mysterious and haunts a couple. Elixir , directed by Anirban Guha and written by Sinjini Sengupta, opens with a woman waiting for someone in a cafe. She orders a glass of water and on taking the first sip her whole life changes. The Number , directed by Anuj Bhardwaj, is about a boy named Vikram, who is always surrounded by trains and is waiting for a number which he thinks will change his life. Saving Dragons , directed by Shivan Parusnath, is about the illegal reptile trade in South Africa, while Maharajin , directed by Darpan Bajaj, is a documentary on an age-old ritual on cremation grounds.
This is the first festival curated by Soumadeep Sen, Mandira Shah, Akanksha Sood Singh, and Padmalatha Ravi. “This is our first film festival,” says Soumendeep, an independent filmmaker from an IT background. All his films have been selected to various international film festivals. “The festival aims to create a collaboration among filmmakers, producers, scriptwriters and everyone who makes a film possible. It is also a platform for new talents to showcase their work. It helps filmmakers with pre and post production so costs can be kept at the bare minimum,” says Soumadeep.
There will also be a panel discussion by Rashmi Devi Sawhney, Padmalatha Ravi, and Mandira Shah apart from a special screening of Akanksha’s Mrityubhoj (Death Feast) and Soumadeep Sen’s Sesh Proshno(The Last Question) screened at the 72nd Festival De Cannes-Shortfilm corner.
The festival will be held on April 20 at Atta Galatta, KHB Colony, 5th block, Koramangala. Entry is free.
