2023 MAMI Mumbai Film Festival - Watchlist
My personal MAMI 2023 watchlist.
The much-awaited MAMI Mumbai Film Festival is back in 2023 after a gap of 2 years. This time it's happening between 27 October and 5 November. That's 10 days.
And here is a list of must-watch films that I hope to catch this year, especially because I'm on a short sabbatical. I'll do that by booking a show at 8 in the morning on BookMyShow or waiting in a serpentine queue for a festival favorite or by cheating the system (how?). Whatever it takes, right?
Curated based on hype and buzz, performance in other film festivals around the world (chiefly TIFF, Venice, Cannes, Telluride, and Sundance), and personal bias.
For more updates and takes on the MAMI festival, check out my website - tejasnair.com.
The much-awaited MAMI Mumbai Film Festival is back in 2023 after a gap of 2 years. This time it's happening between 27 October and 5 November. That's 10 days.
And here is a list of must-watch films that I hope to catch this year, especially because I'm on a short sabbatical. I'll do that by booking a show at 8 in the morning on BookMyShow or waiting in a serpentine queue for a festival favorite or by cheating the system (how?). Whatever it takes, right?
Curated based on hype and buzz, performance in other film festivals around the world (chiefly TIFF, Venice, Cannes, Telluride, and Sundance), and personal bias.
For more updates and takes on the MAMI festival, check out my website - tejasnair.com.
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- DirectorHansal MehtaStarsKareena KapoorKeith AllenChris WilsonA grieving cop who loses her child to murder and moves to another town where she's tasked with investigating the disappearance of a missing child. Exploring themes of trauma, grief, the immigrant experience, and our need for closure.Opening film
- DirectorGovindan AravindanStarsMohan DasBharat GopySmita PatilMuniyandi (Sreenivasan), a laborer in the farm, believes and respects Shivakami (Smita Patil). Muniyandi brings Shivakami to the farm after marrying her. She soon befriends Shankaran (Gopi). But one day Muniyandi catches Shankaran red-handed with his wife Shivakami. Broken hearted, Muniyandi commits suicide. The extreme feeling of guilt forces Shankaran to leaves the place. He tries alcohol, spirituality and all other possible methods to escape from this mental torment, but fails. Finally he reaches the temple town of Chidambaram. There he finds Shivakami as a shoe keeper in the temple.
- DirectorBharathanStarsBharat GopyMohanlalRevathi
- DirectorAdoor GopalakrishnanStarsBharat GopyK.P.A.C. LalithaThikkurissy Sukumaran NairSankarankutty, a village simpleton, lives a carefree life, indulges in childish pursuits, lives off the money given to him by his sister (working elsewhere as a servant), and eats quite voraciously. Then one day he gets married, but the wife is frustrated by his aimless lifestyle & irresponsible attitude (even after she gets pregnant). So she goes back to her parents. Meanwhile, his sister who is now living with her lover, can no longer provide for him, and a kind widow who used to care for him passes away. He has nowhere & nobody to fall back on, and from this point on, as he starts a job as assistant to a lorry driver, he starts looking at life in a whole new way and begins to mature as well.
- DirectorKristoffer BorgliStarsLily BirdNicolas CageJulianne NicholsonAn ordinary family man finds his life turned upside down when strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams.
- DirectorCameron CairnesColin CairnesStarsDavid DastmalchianLaura GordonIan BlissA live television broadcast in 1977 goes horribly wrong, unleashing evil into the nation's living rooms.
- DirectorPark Chan-wookStarsChoi Min-sikYoo Ji-taeKang Hye-jeongAfter being kidnapped and imprisoned for fifteen years, Oh Dae-Su is released, only to find that he must track down his captor in five days.
- DirectorParis ZarcillaStarsEva-Jane WillisDavid HaymanLeanne BestAn undocumented Filipina immigrant lands a job as a care-worker for a terminal old man, securing a better life for her and her daughter. But a dark discovery threatens to destroy everything she's strived for and holds dear.
- DirectorJustine TrietStarsSandra HüllerSwann ArlaudMilo Machado-GranerA woman is suspected of murder after her husband's death; their half-blind son faces a moral dilemma as the main witness.
- DirectorAnand EkarshiStarsVinay ForrtZarin ShihabKalabhavan ShajohnAfter a party amongst a theatre group, their sole actress, Anjali is subjected to a crime from one of the men in the group. A meeting is called for. In trying to reach a consensus, stories unravel, suspicions surface and clamour ensues.
- DirectorVarun GroverStarsBodhisattva SharmaSamta SudikshaSheeba ChaddhaSet in the late 1990s, A 17-year old Vivek who is sent away from home to a prep school to prepare for the highly competitive IIT ("the MIT of India") entrance examination.
- DirectorHarshad NalawadeStarsSudip BilawarShalini ChouguleAtul DeshmukhIn a town riddled with territorial disputes, a radicalized journalist believes in exposing the atrocities faced by his community. But as the line between his professional and personal life blurs, an inconvenient truth makes him reflect back on a simpler time when he had not yet succumbed to radicalization.
- DirectorClair TitleyStarsTomoaki HamatsuJason HerToshio TsuchiyaA Japanese reality TV star left naked in a room for more than a year, tasked with filling out magazine sweepstakes to earn food and clothing.
- DirectorJoanna ArnowStarsScott CohenBabak TaftiJoanna ArnowA mosaic-style comedy following the life of a woman as time passes in her long-term casual BDSM relationship, low-level corporate job, and quarrelsome Jewish family.
- DirectorAnh Hung TranStarsJuliette BinocheBenoît MagimelEmmanuel SalingerThe story of Eugenie, an esteemed cook, and Dodin - the fine gourmet chef she has been working for over the last 20 years.
- DirectorAmanda Nell EuStarsZafreen ZairizalDeena EzralPiqaAn 11-year-old girl who is carefree until she starts to experience horrifying physical changes to her body.
- DirectorLila AvilésStarsNaíma SentíesMontserrat MarañonMarisol GaséSeven-year-old Sol is spending the day at her grandfather's home, for a surprise party for Sol's father, Tonatiuh. As daylight fades, Sol comes to understand that her world is about to change dramatically.
- DirectorAriane Louis-SeizeStarsSara MontpetitFélix-Antoine BénardSteve LaplanteA young woman vampire is unable to kill to meet her need for blood, but may have found a solution in a young man with suicidal tendencies.
- DirectorStéphan CastangStarsKarim LeklouVimala PonsFrançois ChattotIt follows Vincent who finds himself under attack for no apparent reason overnight. When the phenomenon intensifies, he must run and change his way of life completely.
- DirectorAnurag KashyapStarsRahul BhatMegha BurmanAamir DalviAn insomniac ex-cop who dwells in different circumstances looking for redemption. The ex-cop, who is presumed dead for a long time, operates secretly for the corrupt system.
- DirectorRajat KapoorStarsVinay PathakKoel PurieNeil BhoopalamAt an anniversary party, Sohrab Handa is found dead, with his throat slit in the hall. As the investigation unravels, friendships are tested and secrets are revealed
- DirectorKore-eda HirokazuStarsSakura AndôEita NagayamaSoya KurokawaA mother demands answers from her son's teacher when her son begins acting strangely.
- DirectorWim WendersStarsKoji YakushoTokio EmotoArisa NakanoHirayama cleans public toilets in Tokyo, lives his life in simplicity and daily tranquility. Some encounters also lead him to reflect on himself.
- DirectorAtul SabharwalStarsIshwak SinghKabir BediRahul BoseNew Delhi, 1993, a deaf-mute young man is accused and arrested by the Bureau for being a spy. A sign language expert is brought as an interpreter. As the mystery unfolds, the line between guilt and innocence blurs.
- DirectorPrasanna VithanageStarsRoshan MathewDarshana RajendranShyam FernandoAn Indian tourist couple arrive in the hill country of crisis ridden Sri Lanka to celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary. But, when things take an unexpected turn, conflicts deepen revealing cracks in their relationship.
- DirectorDevashish MakhijaStarsManoj BajpayeeSandeep ShikharAmrendra SharmaA father is on the run with his little baby girl to escape the ghosts of his past and the forces that want him dead.
- DirectorTahira Kashyap KhurranaStarsSakshi TanwarDivya DuttaSaiyami KherMulti-generational ensemble about the modern, middle-class female experience and the lives of urban women, all with the common surname of Sharma.
- DirectorKedar ShindeStarsNutan AasgaonkarSuruchi AdarkarSuchitra BandekarSix estranged sisters who are forced to come together for a Managalagaur competition. Can they overcome their past and face their struggles?
- DirectorClaire DenisStarsIsaach De BankoléGiulia BoschiFrançois CluzetA French woman returns to her childhood home in Cameroon - formerly a colonial outpost - where she's flooded by memories, particularly of Protée, her servant.
- DirectorGuy MaddinStarsMichael GottliDavid FalkenbergMichael O'SullivanAn amnesiac soldier, seeking his lost love, arrives in Archangel in northern Russia to help the townsfolk in their fight against the Bolsheviks, all quite unaware that the Great War ended three months ago.
- DirectorMan RayStarsKiki of MontparnasseExperimental film, white specks and shapes gyrating over a black background, a light-striped torso, a gyrating eggcrate. One of the first Dadaist films.
- DirectorAribam Syam SharmaStarsKiranmalaKangabamTombaThe harmony in a family in the Manipur Valley, is disrupted by the sudden transformation of a gentle, young wife into a violent woman prone to fits of wild visions. She then goes in search of the Meibi Guru, whom she thinks has chosen her to be initiated into the sect. Her pleasure then lies in the devotion and love through dances and music. She finds total solace in the vivid and colorful performing arts.
- DirectorSanjiv ShahStarsDilip JoshiRenuka ShahaneMohan GokhaleIn this political satire fantasy, after a benevolent scientist devises a deadly mosquito-repellent from onions, the king of the nation proceeds to use it to control the anarchist mosquitoes that antagonize his rule.
- DirectorAdoor GopalakrishnanStarsJalajaKaramana Janardanan NairRajam K. NairThe protagonist is trapped within himself and is unable to comprehend the changes taking place around him.
- DirectorPushan KripalaniStarsKalki KoechlinDeepti NavalGordon WarneckeWith help from a neighbourhood and a past she has shunned, a young woman returns home to deal with her mother's dementia and the scars of her childhood.
- DirectorKanu BehlStarsMohit AgarwalPriyanka BoseVibha ChhibberA family and an exploration of space in an increasingly crowded world. It follows the quest for a sexual odyssey of an individual.
- DirectorChristian PetzoldStarsThomas SchubertPaula BeerLangston UibelA group of friends are in a holiday home by the Baltic Sea where emotions run high as the parched forest around them catches fire.
- DirectorRadu JudeStarsIlinca ManolacheOvidiu PîrsanNina HossAn overworked and underpaid production assistant drives around Bucharest to shoot the casting for a workplace safety video commissioned by a multinational company.
- DirectorAki KaurismäkiStarsAlma PöystiJussi VatanenJanne HyytiäinenIn modern-day Helsinki, two lonely souls in search of love meet by chance in a karaoke bar. However, their path to happiness is beset by obstacles - from lost phone numbers to mistaken addresses, alcoholism, and a charming stray dog.
- DirectorAlice RohrwacherStarsJosh O'ConnorCarol DuarteVincenzo NemolatoA group of archaeologists and the black market of historical artifacts.
- DirectorRodrigo MorenoStarsDaniel ElíasEsteban BigliardiMargarita MolfinoBank employee Morán schemes to steal enough money to never work again, then confess and serve prison time while his colleague hides the cash. Soon under investigative pressure, accomplice Román meets a woman who transforms him forever.
- DirectorBabak JalaliStarsAnaita Wali ZadaGregg TurkingtonJeremy Allen WhiteDonya works for a Chinese fortune cookie factory. Formerly a translator for the U.S. military, she struggles to put her life back in order. In a moment of sudden revelation, she decides to send out a special message in a cookie.
- DirectorQuentin DupieuxStarsAnaïs DemoustierEdouard BaerJonathan CohenA French journalist meets the iconic surrealist artist Salvador Dalí on several occasions for a documentary project that never came to be.
- DirectorElene NaverianiStarsEka ChavleishviliTemiko ChichinadzeLia AbuladzeEtero, 48, single in a Georgian village, encounters gossip. She unexpectedly falls for a man, caught between a relationship or independence. She navigates her emotions while grappling with societal norms, searching for happiness.
- DirectorPawo Choyning DorjiStarsTandin WangchukTandin PhubzKelsang ChoejayAn American travels into Bhutan in search of a valuable antique rifle and crosses paths with a young monk who wanders through the serene mountains, instructed by his teacher to make things right again.
- DirectorRitwik PareekStarsAltaf KhanDurga Lal SainiMukul Kumar Mk SinghMysterious events in the wake of a freak motorcycle accident sow the seeds of a new religion.
- DirectorMan RayStarsAndré de la RivièreRobert DesnosKiki of MontparnasseAn anthology of four Man Ray short films, with original music by SQÜRL (Jim Jarmusch and Carter Logan). Includes the films L'étoile de mer (1928), Emak-Bakia (1927), Le retour à la raison (1923) and Les Mystères du Château du Dé (1929).
- DirectorSejon ImWill SuenStarsShirong WuAnthony Roy BartonCatherine Van-DaviesA city filled with rabid food connoisseurs is brought to its knees when Chinese takeaway becomes the supreme currency, commanding more power than sex, drugs and money.
- DirectorSuzanne RaesStarsAbbie VandiverePieter RoelofsGregor J.M. WeberMuch has been written, but little is known about Johannes Vermeer, painter of iconic paintings and crowd pleasers such as The Milkmaid and Girl with a Pearl Earring. His small oeuvre is almost everything he left behind. Dicht bij Vermeer (Close to Vermeer) follows Gregor Weber, a globally renowned Vermeer expert and flamboyant curator at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam. In the year before he retires, he works on his big dream: the largest Vermeer exhibition ever. Together with Weber, a number of Vermeer enthusiasts and experts go in search of what truly makes a Vermeer a Vermeer. Through new discoveries and by dissecting the work layer by layer, this film brings us closer to the painter to understand the decisions he made and the steps in his oeuvre.
- DirectorFrederick WisemanA 93-year-old director embeds inside a French restaurant that's held three Michelin stars for more than 50 years.
- DirectorTewfik SalehStarsMohamed Kheir-HalouaniAbdul Rahman Al RashiBassan Lofti Abou-GhazalaSet in Iraq (but shot in Syria), this is the story of three men who try to leave their impoverished and hopeless lives to get get work in Kuwait. They hire a water-truck driver to transport them illegally across the border in the tank of his truck...
- DirectorBertrand BonelloStarsLéa SeydouxGeorge MacKayGuslagie MalandaIn the near future artificial intelligence is in control of everyone's lives and human emotions are perceived as a threat.
- DirectorMichel GondryStarsPierre NineyBlanche GardinFrançoise LebrunFollows a man, a director who tries to vanquish his demons, which are oppressing his creativity.