MAMI Mumbai Film Festival to skip a year and return in 2026 with a new logo, approach
The festival, which has been held in Mumbai since 1997, will skip a year as it is undergoing a process of being revamped 'with a dynamic vision', announced Dungarpur today. In his statement shared on social media, Dungarpur said that the festival will 'return as a premier showcase for the best of independent, regional and classic cinema from India and around the world'. He also said: 'We are working diligently to reschedule the festival and will announce the new dates for the 2026 edition as soon as possible. Thank you for your understanding and support.'
While speaking to The Indian Express Dungarpur said when he took over as the festival director last year they had 'limited funds' and 'a lot of things had to be sorted out'. In 2024, the festival was held at a smaller scale at Regal cinema hall and PVR, Juhu, after Jio, which was its title sponsor for several years, withdrew its support.
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Maintaining that 'funding' is not the main hurdle in holding the festival this year, Dungarpur said: 'There are some past issues that need to be resolved. We are taking that time to do that. This will help us strengthen the festival. We also aim to find ways where the festival board is more effective and there is a better governance of the festival itself.'
Since Mumbai is the host of this much-loved festival, its upcoming editions should engage more with the city and be accessible to movie-lovers from all walks of life. 'The festival is meant to support independent cinema. There is a genuine feeling that very little is done for independent cinema. There is a thin line between documentary and independent cinema. We don't want to differentiate between that,' he said and added, 'We are going to push for independent cinema to be part of world competition.'
The festival, over the years, had emerged as a hub of the best of contemporary world cinema with a focus on South Asian cinema. The festival's 2026 edition will return with a new logo. 'We are excited about coming back in 2026 with these changes. We want to make it a people's event. We are in the city of Mumbai. The festival will reflect that — whether it's the logo or the way we approach the festival. We had problems. However, we are strong and we will come back stronger.'
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