28th Madurai Int Doc & Short Film Fest 2026

28th Madurai International Documentary and Short Film Festival 2026

6-10 December; multiple venues, Madurai

Organised by MARUPAKKAM 

@Christopher Heil / Dreamstime.com

Film selection is going on!

Delegates registration from 1st November 2026

We invite film fans from across South India to enjoy the films and the interactions!

Highlights :

Around 100 films from across the world will be screened.

Most of them will have their Indian Premiere!

More than 20 filmmakers will present their films!

Seminar on Indian Documentaries : Curated by Dr CS Venkiteswaran

Amudhan RP

Festival Director

28th MIDSFF 2026

Old photos!

 

 

27th MIDSFF 2025 : Thank you all!

We thank you all!

27th Madurai International Documentary and Short Film Festival 2025 went off well yesterday with the closing ceremony at LENS Media Centre, Madurai.

We screened 97 films from 24 countries at 8 venues under 6 sections on 6-10 December 2025.

15 filmmakers from across India took part in the film festival physically and presented their works. We were very happy to witness their healthy interactions with the audience members.

We could reach out to more than 1000 audience members in which most of them were young professionals and students.

We would like to thank the filmmakers to start with for trusting us and sharing their films with us. We would like to thank Rough Edges for sharing their package of films 'IMPRINTS' as a special section in this film festival.

We would like to thank Ms Lata Murugan, filmmaker / teacher, Ms Tengalla Madhavi, filmmaker / teacher, Ms Mini Hari, filmmaker / activist, Ms.Gita Hudson, filmmaker / artist, Prof Sridevi, educationalist, Mr. Sanjay Joshi, filmmaker / curator / teacher, Mr. Debaranjan, filmmaker / author, Mr. Ulaga Cinema Bhaskaran, filmmaker / curator / facilitator, Mr. Santosh Ram, filmmaker, Mr Babu, artist & Mr. Kavin Kaniyan, aspiring filmmaker for being part of the official selection committee and shortlisting the final list of films for the screening at the film festival.

We would like to thank our well wishers Mr Satyaraj (film star), Mr Vivek Sundara (retired professional and activist), Mr Sudeesh Ezhuvath (traveller and film society activist), Ms Thilagam (Trade Unionist), Mr Arunachalam (traveller and publisher), Ms Varthini (researcher and activist) and Mr Subrabharathi Manian (writer) for contributing financially and supporting our film festival.

We would like to thank Dept of Visual Communication - The Fatima College, Dept of Tamil - The American College, AICUF, Dept of Tamil & Media Club - Arul Anandhar College, Karumathur, Dept of Tamil, Dept of English & Senthi Cine Forum - V.H.N.Senthikumara Nadar College, Virudhunagar, Dept of Communication - Madurai Kamaraj University - Palkalai Nagar, Dept of Tamil - Gandhigram University, Gandhigram, IDEAS Centre, Kaleidoscope, LENS Media Centre & MARUPAKKAM Film Collective for jointly organising the event by giving us moral, logistical and technical support unconditionally.

We would like to thank Prof Murali, Prof Prabhakaran, Ms Varthini & Fr Stephen Martin (Director Lens Media) for inaugurating the film festival on 6 December at LENS Media Centre.

We would like to thank the print media especially The Hindu, Dinamalar and Dinamani for graciously publishing news items about our event and spreading the information to the general public.

We would like to thank our team members - Shankar, Kalyan, Babu, Savarvanan and Mathiazhagan for coordinating the program flawlessly.

We would like to thank Mr Subrabharathi Manian, well known writer from Tirupur and Mr Senthil Kumaran, filmmaker for looking after the screenings at LENS Media Centre.

We would like to thank Artist Babu from Madurai for his wonderful posters and festival booklet about the film festival.

We would like to thank Mr Rajasekaran, the veteran rock musician from Madurai for performing live and cheering us at the closing ceremony.

We would like to thank Prof Anandhakumar, Dr Vidhya, Fr Stephen Martin (Director - LENS Media) and Com Arumugam for taking part in the closing ceremony and wishing us well

I would like to personally thank my family members for believing in me and my work patiently and consistently.

Amudhan R P
Festival Director
27th Madurai International Documentary and Short Film Festival 2025

27th Madurai Int Doc & Short Film Festival 2025 : We welcome you!

27th Madurai International Documentary and Short Film Festival 2025

6-10 Dec; multiple venues, Madurai / Organised by MARUPAKKAM

    Detailed Schedule 

SUPPORT US!

 Official Selection Committee

Around 100 films will be screened under the following sections :

1) Indian Documentaries  2) International Documentaries  3) Indian Short Fiction

4) International Short Fiction  5) Animation, Music Videos, Experimental films & Feature films

6) Special Package I : Films by Rough Edges

Public screenings: 

Main Venue (Daily) : LENS Media Centre, Gnana Olivupuram / 6-10 December; 11 am to 8 pm (registration mandatory)

Evening Shows  (Daily): Kaleidoscope / 6 -10 December; 6 pm to 8 pm  (entry free)

7 Dec; 10 am to 4 pm; IDEAS Centre (entry free)

Campus Screenings (entry open only for the respective campus students)

 8 Dec; 10 am to 4 pm ; Fatima College / 8 Dec; 2 pm to 4 pm; American College / 9 Dec; 10 am to 4 pm ; Gandhigram University / 9 Dec; 10 am to 4 pm ; Madurai Kamaraj University / 10 Dec; 10 am to 4 pm; Arul Aanandhar College 

DETAILED SCHEDULE 

For delegates registration (mandatory) : 9994770050

27th Madurai Int Doc & Short Film Festival 2025 : Animation, Music Video, Experimental & Feature

27th Madurai International Documentary and Short Film Festival 2025
Category – Animation Films | Music Video | Experimental | Feature

1. Do You Have Any Games On Your Phone?
Dir: Mari Valdivia; 3:53 min; Animation Films; United States
Through a mix of animation and live-action, a young girl candidly shares her experiences of exploring an unknowingly age-inappropriate website.

2. Dobrina
Dir: Hannes Rall; 5:00 min; Animation Films; Germany
Lotte Reiniger meets Sergio Leone in this animated short, where desire burns as bright as the desert sun. A brand-new animated short that premiered in June 2025, successfully touring the festival circuit now.

3. I hope this conversation doesn't take place in 2045
Dir: Srishti Arora; 6:06 min; Animation Films; India
It is a film that aims to empower women by celebrating the rich diversity of their journeys. It is inspired by the everyday women around me and those further afield. 

4. Hari Govind and the Forbidden Jar
Dir: Dev Rajiv Shah; 2:34 min; Animation Films; India
The first of its kind! This Sanskrit Noir animated short retells a popular Indian Mythological Tale. Hari Govind and the Forbidden Jar explores the tale of a 5 year old racing against time to cover up his latest disobedience from his mother, all while battling a quickly building sugar rush.

Music Video

1. What The Troll - Shweta Harve ft. Dario Cei
Dir: Shweta Harve; 3:45 min; Music Video; United States
Music video about cyber bullying and trolling

Experimental Films

1. The Cormorant's Shadow
Dir: Barbara Peikert; 1:00 min; Experimental Films; Switzerland
A funny cormorant relaxes on a buoy in the lake and watches an animation that reveals a plan behind it: AI or the urge to take part in the spectacle?

2. For The Camera
Dir: Peter Bromley; 5:24 min; Experimental Films; United Kingdom
For The Camera is a short observational documentary capturing a fleeting collaboration between two artists: one draws a graphic score; the other interprets it at the piano. Neither rehearsed.

3. The Other Side
Dir: Olga Ushakova; 8:17 min; Experimental Films; Russian Federation
The daughter, who is in constant conflict with her mother, eventually finds mutual understanding, but their fragile peace is shattered by circumstances beyond their control.

4. I Will Wake Up When I Am Done Sleeping
Dir: Sigi Golan; 5:00 min; Experimental Films; Israel
I'm always sleeping, everywhere, anytime. In stores, parks, roads. When told to wake up, I have five responses. This film explores the shortcomings of wakefulness and the benefits of staying in bed, eyes closed, under the blanket, where it's cozy and safe.

Feature Films

1. NEW BEGINNINGS
Dir: Isabelle INGOLD, Vivianne PERELMUTER; 1:27:00 min; Feature Films; Belgium, France

Vietnam War veteran Al Moon lives alone on his tribal lands in Northern California. As violence and ecological destruction sweep across the reservation, old anxieties resurface. Al has no choice but to hit the road to confront what haunts him and reunite with the men of his battalion. Each encounter along the way reveals a divided country grappling with its own wounds—a disturbing reflection of his inner turmoil. Old demons resurface like ghosts… Facing the truth is the hardest ordeal of all.

27th Madurai Film Festival : International Short Fiction

27th MIDSFF 2025, Madurai
Category – International Short Fiction

1. Monologue
Dir: Danae MOSSMAN; 13:25 min; Short fiction; New Zealand
Mary has been ejected from her affluent marriage and stripped of her role as mother.
Home alone on New Year’s Eve in the elegant apartment to which she has been exiled,
her mind whirs, the psychic rubble of her privileged life threatens to overwhelm her.
Tomorrow she will meet with her husband to discuss the terms of their unfolding divorce
and the custody of their son – a battle that he is destined to win. Freely adapted from
Simone de Beauvoir's novella Monologue (1968)

2. El susurro
Dir: Alejo Rosemberg; 13:00 min; Short Fiction; Argentina
Sofia is a young woman of almost 30 years old, she is in a relationship with Tomás and
they have a little son.
They go to the cinema together, in one of those almost obligatory outings, to try to revive
some space of intimacy but the sound of a message on Sofia's phone interrupts the
fusion reminding them that it is no longer possible and they both know it.

3. Fiabexit
Dir: Lorenzo Giovenga, Giuliano Giacomelli; 19:53 min; Short Fiction; Italy
We too have the right to dream

4. A Shared Table
Dir: Vince Li; 17:23 min; Short Fiction; United States
A western mom who expects her son to return home realizes that he is not what she’d
hoped for and comes to accept her son's Chinese acupuncturist girlfriend during a
Thanksgiving visit in NYC.

5. Motya
Dir: Artem Chuba; 18:08 min; Short Fiction; Russian Federation
During the pandemic and self-isolation, Motya, a harsh woman with a difficult character,
finds it more and more difficult to put up with her artist husband Vanya, a misfit to daily
life. He just had Covid but Motya sends him outside in attempt to encourage him to do
something. Perhaps the epidemic will give Vanya a chance to find his place in life.

6. The First Lesson
Dir: Maksim Bobkov; 7:55 min; Short Fiction; Russian Federation
After burying his beloved cat, first-grader Yefim decides to avenge his death on a
shepherd named Darwin, but a disarming force stands in the way of the avenger.

7. Let there be light !
Dir: Akiko Okumura; 14:57 min; Short Fiction; France
In an art gallery, a young woman discovers a painting by an unknown artist depicting her
own naked corpse—grotesque yet beautifully rendered. As she tries to communicate with
the other visitors, no one seems to notice how strange the situation is.

8. A Small Favor
Dir: Bijoyeta Sahoriya Das; 14:00 min; Short Fiction; United States

9. Run River!
Dir: Anastasiia Ostapenko; 11:59 min; Short Fiction; Russian Federation
A young girl accidentally meets her father on the street, whom she has not seen for 10
years. After a series of doubts, the girl decides not only to meet the past eye-to-eye, but
also to try to get back her dog, which her father took with him when he left the family.

10. The Apple Picker's Son.

Dir: Yang Zimik; 16:30 min; Short Fiction; India, United States
A 10-year-old Kashmiri boy with supernatural powers finds out his father is leaving for
the apple harvest near the dangerous India-Pakistan border. Fearing for his father’s life,
Afaaq must use his newfound powers to keep his family together.

11. An Extraordinary Love Letter
Dir: Sachin Kumar Enganati; 15:00 min; Short Fiction; Luxembourg

12. Driving Lessons
Dir: Anastasiya Gruba; 17:48 min; Short Fiction; Ukraine
Wartime Kyiv, Ukraine. A father helps his daughter to practice driving. They are the only
relatives to each other and have a strong connection, but many disagreements in their
opinions. The driving lesson ceases to be ordinary when the father is issued a summons
at a checkpoint.

27th Madurai Int Doc & Short Film Festival 20025 : Indian Short Fiction

27th Madurai International Documentary Short Film Festival 2025

6-10 December, multiple veneus, Madurai 

Organised by MARUPAKKAM 

Category – Indian Short Fiction

The Daily Bread (Girrda)
Dir: Anil Kumar Anand; 19:59 min; Short fiction; India
In a Kashmir village, Mainmuna (30) and her husband Ziya run a bakery, struggling to survive. Mocked for his torn pheran, Ziya asks Mainmuna for a new one after securing a bread order for her friend’s engagement. She sews one herself, but it turns out shorter. At the event, men tease Ziya, causing them to leave angrily. Later, Mainmuna faces a crisis when her ex-husband, Wazeer (40), presumed dead for 3 years, returns, demanding money or her return, threatening her life with Ziya (25).

Koli
Dir: Jyotirmoy Mazumdar; 14:20 min; Short fiction; India
Koli is a film that explores the consequences of deception and the importance of honesty within a family. Niyor, a fifth grade student, weaves a web of lies to hide his disappointing grades from his family. This web of lies and deceit grows to cause emotional distress for his younger brother. As the truth begins to surface, the film delves into the parent's reactions and the impact on their relationships, revealing a touching story about truth, trust and family dynamics.

Flower From The Sky
Dir: Jayshankar Ramu; 15:00 min; Short Fiction; India
Confined to a wheelchair, Girija forms a quiet, profound bond with fellow resident Nitin at a Pune old age home. Their growing closeness unsettles both their families and the authorities. Flower From the Sky is a tender Marathi short film about love that defies judgement, age, and the ordinary.

The Show Man
Dir: Balajee S R; 7:35 min; Short Fiction; India
Stranded en route to a film festival, cynical Junior and the inscrutable Senior encounter the Stranger spinning a dramatic tale of woe. While Junior sees an obvious con, Senior sees the veil and its beauty. "The Show Man" delves into the ambiguous lines between performance, reality, and perception in the most unexpected of scenery, unravelling between highly conflicted characters.

Every Bullet's Account
Dir: Ravish Pathan; 14:00 min; Short Fiction; India
In a rain-soaked night, a weary detective and a sharp forensic doctor unravel a triple high-profile murder, all killed in the same instant. But as bullet holes reveal a rare weapon, suspicion turns inward. Loyalties blur, truth bleeds into silence, and every bullet demands its reckoning in a system built to forget.

Four Long Faces
Dir: Alok Paswan; 20:00 min; Short Fiction; India
A quiet morning gives rise to a cyclical story of letdowns. Four lives—a flower seller, a heartbroken man, a petty thief, and a weary boat man—intertwine in the undercurrent of chaos, longing and loss. Their lives, though strangers to one another, are unknowingly bound by flowers.

Knot
Dir: Abhay Parveen Gupta; 14:30 min; Short Fiction; India
Manish, a 6-year-old boy struggles to adapt to his mother’s absence from his life. His mother has been dead for weeks and the family can’t gather the courage to explain the real meaning of death to the little kid. Manish, however, is a strong-willed boy who believes his mother will return if he sets out to correct all the past mischiefs he has committed. He can’t open up to his father Siddharth, who is unaware of Manish’s endeavours and is grieving over the demise of his wife. Manish pins all his hopes on a secret magic trick – that he has learnt from his friend. With both father and son struggling with their respective loss, the only way the family can come together again is if the magic trick works. But, will it?

Compassion
Dir: Rohan Sajjansinh Rathod, Sahaj Surendra Sevak; 17:52 min; Short Fiction; India
A lonely old watchman, haunted by abandonment, finds unexpected purpose in rescuing a neglected and aggressive puppy from breed-specific regulations, leading them both on a journey to confront their shared past and discover the meaning of belonging.

THE FIRST FILM
Dir: Piyush Thakur; 19:59 min; Short Fiction; India
In a small town of 1960's India, where cinema is forbidden for women, a 14-year-old embarks on a quest to watch her first film.

GULAAM (SLAVE)
Dir: Saurabh Nandakishor Kolekar; 13:03 min; Short Fiction; India
A few days after a heart-wrenching caste crime, an upper caste man and a grieving tribal fight over a cigarette at a secluded shop in a desolate mountain pass of rural India. As the fight quickly escalates the shopkeeper fears for the worst and takes extreme measures to protect himself.

Ilish
Dir: Himjyoti Talukdar; 14:23 min; Short Fiction; India
A family's joyful dinner of Ilish fish, carefully prepared takes an unexpected turn when an uninvited guest disrupts their evening, bringing unforeseen trouble.

Por Paravaigal / War Birds
Dir: Subash Bharathi; 14:54 min; Short Fiction; India
Not a story of war-dwelling vultures. This is the story of birds who fell due to war.
"Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime.”

Dark Circles
Dir: Prabal Chakraborty; 9:59 min; Short Fiction; India
As a woman gets stranded on a highway at middle of the night, she faces a dilemma to go back to a known shelter where she got physically manhandled or face the consequences to be with a group of unknown miscreants who are lustfully ready to tear her apart

Riverbed of dried petals
Dir: Kalash Jain; 12:30 min; Short Fiction; India
In the near future solutions of rekindling love, a couple grapples with the idea of erasing their most intimate memories to reignite their fading connection. Despite being physically present with each other, they are consumed by a deep longing - a void that neither time nor proximity seems to fill.

Desire
Dir: Sameer Talawdekar; 15:00 min; Short Fiction; India
Arvind, 15, seeks a new pair of sandals, toiling at a construction site. Battling adversity, he maintains his moral compass and resists temptation. However, his unwavering efforts prove futile when life double-crosses him.