Asian Women’s Film Festival to mark 20th anniv

This edition of the Asian Women’s Film Festival (AWFF) organized by IAWRT Chapter India marks its 20th year.

Over the past two decades, the festival has been built on the backs of the present and past IAWRT members whose labour, care and commitment has formed the fulcrum – notable among them are Jai Chandiram (who founded the festival), Kavita Joshi, Vijaya Mulay and Kamla Bhasin – whose vision to shine a light on Asian women’s experiences and stories on the screen, was novel.

Over the years, the festival has been put together by IAWRT India Chapter members voluntarily with little or no resource. This has posed its own challenges, alongside the ever-shifting media landscape and viewing practices that has changed the very shape of film festivals across the world. Yet, IAWRT remains committed to the collective viewing of cinema in a dark room, where each person forges their relationship to the magic unfolding on the screen.

Some of the key ideas that animate the 20th edition of the AWFF are - what are the diverse stories and practices shaped by women from different parts of Asia? How do the political, social and personal find a cinematic form? And how do women’s histories inform our feminist networks and solidarities today? From film screenings, conversations, panel discussions, exhibitions and just hanging out together - the AWFF presents a unique opportunity for women to not only show case their work but for a new generation of audience to comprehend the scope of this cultural and feminist landscape, that IAWRT has built over the years.

This year, the AWFF will screen more than 60 films from 20 countries, along with a special package of films from Iran; films made by young women from Myanmar; filmmakers who have made their first films, women producers speaking of their journey, and the works of IAWRT members themselves: with place for all kinds of voices in the festival. We also have special guests this year – Aparna Purohit, the celebrated Amazon Prime Producer who is now CEO at Aamir Khan Productions; Akiko Ashizawa from Japan, a cinematographer working in a discipline that has historically privileged men; Payal Kapadia, who is currently making waves after her win at Cannes Festival and the nomination at the Golden Globe awards and Hei-Rim Hwang who is a film programmer from the Seoul International Women’s Festival – we hope that conversations with these women who work on different aspects of cinema will provide an enriching insight into the word of filmmaking and programming. There will be also be a special homage to former IAWRT members Manjira Dutta and Aruna Vasudev – stalwarts whose work in cinema was shape-shifting and who were key contributors to the AWFF film festival.

Over the years, one of our key concerns has been about how women document their histories – what gets invisibilized and slips through the cracks. As a commitment to continually remind ourselves of this question, there is a panel discussion and an exhibition on archiving women’s movements, alongside an exhibition on IAWRT’s own history over the past two decades – key moments, big and small, that have brough us to this place.

Women create bonds that blur the professional and the personal and that has the possibility to create a multi-layered world. So, while we are all here as film and media practitioners at the AWFF, it’s also a time to meet old friends, create new bonds and enjoy ourselves. We are also immensely grateful for all those who have shared this vision of the festival and supported us. We welcome you all to three days togetherness – where many ideas, artistic practices and forms of cinema can bloom!