Four films. Four worlds the mainstream never enters.
FIPRESCI, the global federation of film critics from over fifty countries, works to propagate film culture worldwide. The Indian chapter brings the mission home in this film festival, strengthening national integration through the theme of Cinemas of India.
Day 1 | 30 May | Saturday
4pm – 5:40pm: If on a Winter’s Night
100 minutes | Malayalam & Hindi with English Subtitles | 2025 | Dir. Sanju Surendran
A young couple leaves Kerala for Delhi, bound by love and ambition. He’s an artist, she’s with a film festival. But the city isn’t as kind as it looks — beneath its glitter lies prejudice, cramped spaces, and conventions. Their story unfolds like the seasons — fragile yet unyielding. A love tested by the city.
6pm – 7:50pm: The Lost Path
108 minutes | Karbi with English Subtitles | 2025 | Dir. Khanjan Kishore Nath
Longsing, a young member of a local militant group is sent to a remote village to find recruits. He meets a local schoolteacher who introduces him to the people his leaders claim to be fighting for. He begins to question his mission, his choices, and dares to change.
Day 2 | 31 May | Sunday
4pm – 5:15pm: Yakasi’s Daughter
74 minutes | Mising with English Subtitles | 2025 | Dir. Jayanta Madhab Dutta
Fourteen-year-old school dropout Jariyum and her 17-year-old fiancé Migam belong to the Mising community, living on a flood-prone riverine island in Upper Assam. Amid poverty and fragile infrastructure, Jariyum dreams of a better married life. Elopement promises hope – or repeats her mother Yakasi’s cycle of hardship.
5:30pm – 7:30pm: Gondhal
116 minutes | Marathi with English Subtitles | 2025 | Dir. Santosh Davakhar
Set against the vibrant cultural backdrop of rural Maharashtra, the film explores the collision between ritual tradition, personal ambition, and human vulnerability. As relationships fracture and loyalties are tested, the narrative gradually reveals buried truths and emotional tensions beneath ceremonial festivities. Blurring the boundaries between folklore symbolism and contemporary socio-political realities, the film unfolds as a psychological and cultural thriller.
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