Habitat International Film Festival to begin from March 21 with spotlight on Italian cinema

New Delhi, Mar 13 (PTI) The sixth edition of Habitat International Film Festival will be showcasing over 70 films from nearly 15 countries, with a special focus on Italian films and restored classics such as "Bicycle Thieves", "The Apu Trilogy".

The festival begins from March 21 at the India Habitat Centre here and will feature a selection of 70 films, including multiple Oscar, BAFTA, Locarno, Cannes, and Berlinale award winners and nominees. In addition to contemporary world cinema, HIFF 2025 will celebrate legendary filmmakers by screening restored classics from Satyajit Ray, Vittorio De Sica, Federico Fellini, among others.

The spotlight on Italian cinema has been curated by Stefano Francia di Celle, former director of the Torino Film Festival, in collaboration with Andrea Anastasio, director of the Italian Cultural Centre, and will feature over 30 films.

The focus is divided into two segments: a selection of contemporary films released in 2024 and a retrospective celebrating the centenary of legendary Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni and highlight some topics of cinematographic art.

"The selection of new films has been made to offer a broad spectrum of genre and authorial voices. Thriller, drama, brilliant and romantic comedy, civil commitment work are the main genres that the Indian audience will have a chance to experience," the curator said in a statement.

The festival will pay special tribute to noted Italian director Marco Tullio Giordana, who will be present at the event.

The HIFF will open with Giordana's latest "La Vita Accanto" (The Life Apart), which recently premiered in Locarno Film Festival. Other films from Giordana's oeuvre to be showcased at the festival include "La Meglio Gioventu - Atto I (The Best of Youth - Act I), "I Cento Passi" (One Hundred Steps), and "Due Soldati" (Two Soldiers).

From dramas to comedies, the festival will offer a glimpse of the evolution of Italian cinema, spanning generations from the post-maestros era to contemporary auteurs recently showcased at the Venice Film Festival.

The selection includes nine contemporary films from the Venice and Cannes Film Festivals, alongside 22 restored classics, featuring masterpieces such as Federico Fellini's "La Dolce Vita" (The Sweet Life) and "Otto e Mezzo" (Eight and a Half)", Vittorio De Sica's "Sciuscia" (Shoeshine) and "Ladri Di Biciclette" (Bicycle Thieves), and Ettore Scola's "Una Giornata Particolare" (A Special Day).

The retrospective section will highlight the contributions of film archive Cineteca di Bologna and its restoration laborator 'L’Immagine Ritrovata' and Cineteca Nazionale.

Restored versions of Satyajit Ray's "The Apu Trilogy" will be showcased at the film festival. Ray was deeply inspired by De Sica's work.

"They are involved in restoring many classic films and they have a special role in the Criterion restoration of 'the Apu Trilogy' by Satyajit Ray, one of the most important event of the festival associate with the screening of three masterpieces by Vittorio De Sica. De Sica films brought cinematic techniques to bear on social issues and this new filmmaking had a tremendous impact in India, especially in the work of Satyajit Ray," Francia di Celle said.

Celine Pozzi, project manager of 'L’Immagine Ritrovata', will hold a workshop on restoration and preservation techniques of these great masterpieces.

As part of Marcello Mastroianni retrospective, the festival will showcase "La Dolce Vita" (The Sweet Life), "Il Viale Della Speranza (The Street of Hope), "Contro La Legge" (Against the Law), "Divorzio All'Italiana (Divorce Italian Style), "Matrimonio All'Italiana (Marriage Italian Style), "La Citta Delle Donne" (City of Women), and "Oci Ciornie" (Dark Eyes).

"For film lovers, HIFF 2025 is set to be a standout experience. Not only will audiences witness an outstanding lineup of award-winning and pathbreaking world cinema, but they will also have the rare opportunity to watch restored masterpieces from some of the most iconic filmmakers in history. Our gratitude to Italy, this year’s Focus Country, for bringing an exceptional selection of restored classics to the festival," Vidyun Singh, creative head of programmes, India Habitat Centre, said.

The festival will also put a spotlight on women directors by showcasing Icíar Bollaín’s "Soy Nevak" (I'm Nevenka), Saulė Bliuvaitė’s "Toxic", Clara Stern’s "Zwei gegen die Bank" (Two Against the Bank), Ariane Labed’s "September Says", Andrea Arnold’s "Bird" and Nora Fingscheidt’s "The Outrun".

Some of the award-winning and nominated films to be shown at the festival include "Emilia Perez", "The Story of Souleymane", "The Room Next Door", "Pepe", and "Grand Tour".

The "open for all" film festival will come to an end on March 30. PTI MAH MAH BK BK