Mumbai film fest overcomes crisis, rolls out impressive lineup

The 16th Mumbai Film Festival has overcome the financial crisis that threatened its survival to come out with an impressive line up of over 185 films from more than 65 countries and lifetime achievement awards to French star Catherine Deneuve and Indian dancing diva Helen.
Deneuve, known for her iconic roles in films like 'Repulsion', 'Belle de Jour' and 'Tristana', will receive the Lifetime achievement award in the international category while Helen will be honoured in the Indian segment. The festival will also screen Deneuve and Helen's movies.
The cinematic highlights of the festival include the screening of Richard Linklater's critically acclaimed movie 'Boyhood', which took almost 12 years to make.

Brad Pitt starrer World War II drama 'Fury' will also screen at the festival besides Mike Leigh's 'Mr Turner', Ken Loach's 'Jimmy's Hall', Dardenne Brothers' 'Two Days, One Night', Xavier Dolan's 'Mommy' and Jean-Luc Godard's 'Goodbye to Language', Kim Ki Duk's 'One on One', Yoji Yamadas 'The Little House' and 'Party Girl' by Marie Amachoukeli-Barsacq among various other cinematic treats.
An emotional festival director Srinivas Narayan thanked the film industry and cinema lovers' for helping them come out of the crisis. The festival will take place from October 14-21.
"I can't believe that this festival has happened. I am still pinching myself because 15 days ago we were ready with a press release saying the festival will not take place this year," Narayan said at a star-studded press conference that included Amit Khanna, Kiran Rao, Farhan Akhtar, Vikramaditya Motwane and Anurag Kashyap.

Kashyap said, "Being the centre of Hindi cinema, the city deserves a good festival and we have a good festival and I think it should go on. It does not matter how and why. The people who come to watch movies have to take this festival forward.