DIFF aims to inspire young filmmakers

As the second edition of Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) began today, directors Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam talked about achieving their "crazy" dream of bringing cinema and art to the small town and inspiring young filmmakers here.
The filmmaker couple, who hail from the town, say the lack of access to good cinema here made them initiate a venture like this.
"It has been a dream to bring cinema and art to this small town...A crazy dream. Through this we hope that a lot of young filmmakers are inspired. I am thankful to all the friends and supporters for being here. It is the generosity of you people and filmmakers because of which this festival has been possible," said Ritu at the inaugural ceremony.

Ritesh Batra's epistolary romantic film 'The Lunchbox' opened the festival and received a thunderous applause from the audience.
The movie starring Irrfan Khan, Nimrat Kaur and Nawazuddin Siddiqui was previously screened at International Critics' Week at this year's Cannes Film Festival and later won the Critics Week Viewers Choice Award also known as Grand Rail d'Or.
It was also shown at Toronto International Film Festival this year.

"I am very excited to bring my film here and it means a lot that it has been given such a platform. It has been a two-year-long journey and I am very proud to say that 'The Lunchbox' is the first film made under the India-France treaty signed in 1984. It was a team work that brought us this achievement," said Guneet Monga, who is one of the co-producers of the movie.

The four-day film extravaganza will screen approximately 40 films ranging from fiction, documentaries and short films.
Indian documentaries with strong social concerns like Nishtha Jain's 'Gulabi Gang', Amit Virmani's 'Menstrual Man', and Anand Patwardhan's 'Jai Bhim Comrade' will also be shown.
Other movies to be screened are 'Filmistaan' by debutante director Nitin Kakkar, 'La Voz De Los Silenciados' by Australian Maximon Monihan, 'The Rocket' by American Sylvia Wilczynski, 'Crossing Bridges' by debutante Arunachali director Sange Dorjee Tahongdok, 'With You Without You' by Sri Lankan Prasanna Vithanage and 'The Strange Little Cat' by Ramon Zurcher.
In attendance at the festival will be filmmakers like Jacek Borcuch, Anand Patwardhan, Nishtha Jain, Amit Virmani, Sylvia Wilczynaski and Nagraj Manjule amongst others.

Canadian documentary film 'Watermark' by Jennifer Baichwal and Edward Burtynsky will have its India premiere at festival.
Baichwal has come down to present her film here.