Film festivals remain vital platforms for celebrating diverse voices, fostering cultural exchange, nurturing new talent and preserving cinematic heritage, speakers said yesterday at a roundtable discussion on the sidelines of the 19th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF), while stressing the growing importance of authentic storytelling, community viewing and innovation in cinema.

The session, titled ‘Many Forms, One Vision: Celebrating Diversity in Film Festivals’, brought together filmmakers, critics, festival directors and industry professionals to discuss how festivals are adapting to technological change, evolving audience habits and rising demand for authentic narratives, stated a gist of the roundtable put out yesterday by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.

Moderator Sheena Chohan said film festivals enable audiences to experience different perspectives and engage with stories that deepen understanding and empathy.

Anand Varadaraj, founder and artistic director of the Bengaluru International Short Film Festival, described cinema as a fundamentally collective experience, saying a shared emotional journey in a theatre “cannot be replicated elsewhere”.

He noted a growing trend of filmmakers creating works in their mother tongues, leading to more authentic storytelling, and said compelling films are increasingly emerging from smaller towns and remote regions.

Varadaraj also pointed to the rising popularity of short films, saying audiences increasingly seek content suited to contemporary lifestyles while retaining narrative depth. Film festivals, he said, perform an important curatorial role by identifying and showcasing quality short-form cinema and introducing audiences to lesser-known works by established filmmakers.

Film critic and Federation of Film Societies of India Vice-President Premendra Mazumdar said film festivals help sustain community viewing and strengthen film culture.

While the digital revolution has expanded opportunities for filmmakers and fuelled the growth of festivals worldwide, he cautioned that rapid expansion has also created challenges relating to quality and regulation. He called for preserving the principles of artistic excellence and cultural dialogue that underpin the festival movement.

Addressing animation, Savitri Hari of the Telangana VFX, Animation and Gaming Association said the medium continues to be viewed largely as children’s entertainment, creating hurdles in financing and distribution despite its creative potential.

She said Indian animation is gaining visibility at international festivals and urged creators to build commercial capabilities alongside artistic skills through intellectual property development and a better understanding of global markets.

Deepak Kumar Beshra, founder of the Society for Adivasi Film Development Foundation and the Baripada National Indigenous Short Film Festival, said authenticity remains central to audience engagement.

The discussion concluded with panellists agreeing that film festivals continue to serve as important spaces for artistic exploration, innovation and community engagement. They also stressed that filmmakers should be guided by conviction and authenticity, with stories emerging from a genuine belief in both the subject matter and cinema as the most effective medium for telling it.