28th Madurai Film Festival 2026 : Experimental films, Animation films

28th Madurai International Documentary and Short Film Festival 2026

Section 05 : Animation, Experimental films

In My Circle

Dir : Akhil Joondeph; 5.25 min; Experimental films; USA

This dance film explores queer South Asian American world-making. How do we find ourselves within the complexities and contradictions of the cultural identities we inherit? How do we survive through community support and collective solidarity?

Omega One : of direct (((ives))) once removed

Dir :Benjamin Rosenthal; 9.54 min; Experimental films; USA

Ωmega Ωne: of direct(((ive)))s, once removed emerges from intersection of gay tourist “thirst traps” shot in Chapada Diamintina (Igatu, Bahia, Brazil), Grindr longings, and Star Trek Voyager to examine histories of colonialism and desire. Recasting the politically and historically charged landscape of Chapada Diamintina as a “set” for occidental self-exploration, the project leans into the double-bind, and problematic power dynamics of locating and engaging narratives of queerness in spaces in which one may not belong.

In, Out

Dir : Allison Brownmoore; 7.22 min; Animation films; Australia

In, Out is a short animated documentary that explores sexual fluidity through the lived experiences of three women, set against a world increasingly shaped by division rather than connection. 

Outsourcing

Dir : Jun Seok Yoon; 9.31 min; Experimental films; South Korea

OUTSOURCING follows two performers attempting to rehearse a remake of Eugène Ionesco’s The Chairs under the direction of an initially unseen AI. As the actors begin outsourcing not only their labor but also their thinking and emotions, the system demands greater “authenticity,” dictating their gestures, expressions, timing, and lines with mechanical precision.

Comb Story

Dir : Ernesto Rodriguez Cruz; 2.59 min; Animation films; USA

Elena holds a wooden comb in her hands as memories pull her back to childhood — her mother combing her hair slowly, every single day, even when Elena was already a grown young woman. When life swept her away to the city, Elena cut her hair and with it cut her way back home.

The Russian Waltz

Dir : Garry Bardin; 6.59 min; Animation films; Russian Federation

The story of a man born for freedom.

When circumstances deprive him of physical freedom he achieves the impossible result, keeping his private freedom against all odds.

French Fries in the Rain

Dir : Ninah Nogino; 9.48 min; Experimental films; Brazil

It’s a rainy night at the French Fries and Açaí trailer run by two trans girls in a community nestled between rural and urban life. Customers gather, kids make a mess, and someone burns photos. A boy sees something. Heartbreak lingers in the air.

Neurons

Dir : Publio César de la Vega García; 10 min; Animation films; Spain

A candidate giving it one last push. Up to that point, it's all boring, but what happens next is unmissable. Dedicated to my brain cells.

The Three Stages of Lonliness

Dir : Luojia GAN; 2 min; Animation films; China

Follow Dingdang to Learn Chinese Poems" is a series of AIGC-animated short videos dedicated to disseminating the essence of traditional Chinese culture. It employs elements such as ink wash animation, traditional opera music, and Chinese calligraphy—all featuring distinctive ethnic characteristics—to spread classical Chinese poetry and historical stories. Created collaboratively by Dingdang and her father, the production integrates various AI tools including Kuaishou Kling, DeepSeek, and MuseAI. 

Swanlake

Dir : Stella Traub; 5.32 min; Experimental films; Germany

When we are ill, all we want is one thing - not to be ill anymore. The filmmaker sees a swan in a duck pond and dreams with Long Covid of the realm of the healthy. An essay about enchanted sick people and dreaming birds.

Silver Jubilee

Dir : Kavyan Tamilvendan; 8.53 min; Animation films; India

A 20-year-old student in India receives a call from his mother, asking him to come home and celebrate and organise their 25th wedding anniversary. Caught up in his work. He reacts with frustration, at the sudden pivot change, which will affect his workflow. 

Aaloo

Dir : Beybaar; 2.59 min; Experimental films; India 

A sentient potato desperately dodges being eaten, only to meet a darker fate ; an absurd yet biting allegory on how blind faith and extremism consume individuals under the guise of sanctity.

The Sight is a Wound

Dir : Parham Ghalamdar; 6.48 min; Experimental films; Iran

"The Sight is a Wound" by Parham Ghalamdar is a haunting meditation on the collapse of imagery in the face of modern atrocities. The film begins with a simple question: What can the artist offer when the images of our time overwhelm the capacity of frames to contain them? I

28th Madurai Film Festival 2026 : Indian Short Fiction

28th Madurai International Documentary and Short Film Festival 2026

Section 04 : Indian Short Fiction

Reward of Growing Up
Dir: Sudipto Roy; 20 min; Short Fiction; India

Twenty-nine months after their breakup, Rohan and Meher meet for dinner.
What begins as an awkward reunion slowly opens into the old intimacy between two people who still know each other’s rhythms—the jokes, the silences, the habits, and the wounds.

Heartbeat
Dir : Shunmugaprakash S; 10.24 min; Short Fiction; India

A pregnant woman and her husband visit a secret clinic to determine the gender of their unborn child. When the scan reveals the baby is a girl, the clinic pressures them toward an illegal abortion. As the unborn baby's heartbeat echoes through the room, the situation takes a dramatic turn that exposes a hidden female foeticide racket.

Dal Chawal
Dir :Dipita Sehgal, Prateechi Acharya; 16.37 min; Short Fiction; India

Dal Chawal is a tender, emotionally charged short story about friendship, forgiveness and resolution that captures a quiet yet powerful farewell between two close friends, Mukul and Arohi, both of whom are struggling writers navigating the film industry and life in the city. As Mukul prepares to leave the city and return to Indore to care for his younger brother and support his mother, he invites Arohi over for one last lunch - dal chawal, the simple meal that has always belonged to them.

Manam
Dir : Murugan Jaganathan; 16.12 min; Short Fiction; India

This story is about an incident happened when the hero went to garment shop for his daughter's birthday along with his wife where she disturbed mentally while shopping.

Dhadi Ka Ghar
Dir : Gaurav Bakshi, Hani Ramchandra Wadhwani; 2 min; Short Fiction; India

Dadi ka Ghar is a heartfelt short film that celebrates the beautiful connection between a grandmother and her grandson. Through everyday moments, laughter, and silent companionship, this story reminds us that love doesn't always need to be spoken to be deeply felt.

Enemy Heroes
Dir: Mark Diamond; 7.51 min; Short Fiction; India

Enemy Heroes “Because... sometimes it is not easy to tell... Who is the Enemy?.. Who are the Heroes?”

Afreen Manzil
Dir :Rizwan Hussain Mohammed; 18.54 min; Short Fiction; India

Aafreen Manzil follows a day in the life of Aafreen, set in Bengaluru, India, in 2004. What begins as an ordinary day becomes a turning point. As hours pass, she is forced to face a truth she has long suppressed. Pushed to a reckoning, she finds the courage to take a step toward reclaiming her life.

Prehelika
Dir : Arun Kailas A P; 16.08 min; Short Fiction; India

Before electricity conquered the night, villages survived through Attams — sacred performances where men became myths, gods, and the dead. Prahladhan, trained by the mysterious Bhaskaran, is summoned to perform as Unnikuttan (Kunjunni Nair), a man whose death left a family broken by secrets and guilt. But as the ritual begins, one question remains: is Prahladhan performing… or has Unnikuttan truly returned?

Thanks
Dir : Sukithan Sakthivel; 9.41 min; Short Fiction; India

"My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together." - Desmond Tutu.
This is the story of a boy who lives by the aforementioned principle!

Dear Panther
Dir : Dhananjay Nirmalaxman Sable: 14.59 min; Short Fiction; India

India today stands at a crossroads of immense progress and glaring inequality. While the nation celebrates advancement such as launching Chandrayan 3, it simultaneously neglects a critical segment of its educated population. A PhD student wrestles with the local Municipal Corporation for his rightful house, symbolizing a broader fight against governmental injustice. As societal rifts deepen between the haves and have-notes, Panther emerges as a voice for his oppressed class

A Portrait of the Artist as an Young Man
Dir : Sumeet Kaul; 8.12 min; Short Fiction; India

A 10-year-old schoolboy feels listless in class, his creative potential at odds with what is being taught. The film looks at how he navigates the classroom, home and the larger world in his attempt to find moments of joy and creativity in both the real and imaginary realms.

Before it Goes it Quiet
Dir : Ilann Doshi; 7.57 min; Short Fiction; India

A teenage girl, confined within the cold, enclosed walls of her bathroom, struggles against an overwhelming tide of her own mind. Through tight, rhythmic close-ups, we witness her attempt to drown out the relentless noise of her parents’ arguments bleeding in from outside.

Despicable Nights in Heaven
Dir : Omkar Modgi; 15.47 min; Short Fiction; India

When a married man's clandestine affair erupts into a grotesque confrontation in his apartment parking lot, his carefully constructed life begins to unravel in ways he never imagined. As he and his wife recount the same night through competing video-call confessions, a simple scandal transforms into a brutally funny and painfully intimate dissection of their marriage.

Kurup
Dir : Rutuja Krishnakant Pawar; 10.27 min; Short Fiction; India

This is the story of an elderly man living on a mountain—whose leg is disfigured—who sets out to carry fresh cow's milk for a young child. It recounts how the milk spills during his journey and what unfolds thereafter. — *Kurup*

Letters to the Past
Dir : Gouri Wadhwa; 5.41 min; Short Fiction; India

Set in a narrow resale godown in Gurgaon, the film follows Tina as she wanders through a space overflowing with discarded objects and forgotten lives. A stuffed toy transports her to the warmth of childhood friendships. a dusty PS2 and Nintendo 3DS echo with sibling laughter and quiet family moments. Each object carries fragments of someone else’s joy, love, and longing, memories now reduced to second hand goods.

A Stranger
Dir : Dipen Chaudhary; 16.16 min; Short Fiction; India

A child living an insignificant life . Being devoid of family he lives within himself, strolling around certain places providing him with an air of familiarity. While strolling around he finds a puppy and makes futile attempts on few occasions to get hold of it. 

Pasiyenum Theepini
Dir : Anandh Rassappan; 15.19 min; Short Fiction; India

The Most Dangerous Weapon in the World
Dir : Surjith; 1 min; Short Fiction; India

A short film that answers the question, ‘What is the most dangerous weapon in the world?’in
one minute!

Kaikuttai Rani
Dir : Devayani; 20 min; Short Fiction; India

The mother is dead. Father lives out of town for work. This is a short film that portrays the
internal struggles a girl faces.

The Night Bus
Dir Mayuresh Rajvaidya; `19.03 min; Short Fiction; India

Two friends, now estranged, unexpectedly meet again on a Night Bus to Ratnagiri. The journey is 12 hours long. Will it once again be filled with happy conversations or will the burden of their expectations from each other cast a deep shadow……?

Love is OTT
Dir : Himanshu Dhar; 6.30 min; Short Fiction; India

A seemingly ordinary evening turns into an explosive argument between a married couple, Abhinav and Isha. What begins with small domestic complaints spirals into accusations, ego clashes, and the threat of divorce. As voices rise and emotions shatter, the audience witnesses a relationship cracking under the weight of misunderstandings.

Turning Pink
Dir : Srishti Chourasia; 8.17 min; Short Fiction; India

A deranged man who lives by the roadside talks, eats, and sleeps with his pink cricket ball. In a moment of fear, he slips back into a playful childhood memory, where his traumatic past begins to surface.

Hayaat
Dir : Shardul Patkar; 17:45 min; Short Fiction; India

Hayaat centers on Jui’s life, a housewife, who has been caring for her sick and rapidly aging mother as her primary caretaker for the past year. On a routine visit to the bank, Jui discovers that she has failed to submit an annual proof of life certificate to the government, without which her mother’s monthly pension funds won’t come through.

The Fire Kept its Promise
Dir : Rohan Rajput; 16.39 min; Short Fiction; India

n a caste-bound village, a brutal Sarpanch’s reign shatters when his daughter’s suicide and her menstruation leave her ‘impure,’ forcing the family and community into a dilemma that threatens to expose their beliefs.

A Mouse and A Man
Dir : Sahadeb Das; 17.26 min; Short Fiction; India

In the shadow of the nation’s growth, a struggling farmer envies the secure life of a village postmaster. His fantasy turns unsettling, echoing a trapped mouse that mirrors his own confinement. Though their actions seem alike, an invisible gulf of inequality and unfulfilled dreams separates their worlds.

28th Madurai Film Festival 2026 : International Short Fiction

28th Madurai Film Festival 2028 

Section 03 : International Short Fiction 

The Debtor’s Mother

Dir : Thien Trung Le; 16 min; Short Fiction; Vietnam

In a small house in a working-class neighborhood in District 8, Tung (25) limps anxiously toward the front door of his debtor — Huy (20). He calls Huy’s name over and over but gets no response, so he forces his way inside. To his shock, he finds Huy lying unconscious on the floor.

I Owe You a Touch

Dir : Marwan Elshafie; 14 min; Short Fiction; Egypt

Following a personal tragedy, teenage "Seif" sets out to purify himself, only to find that the path to water is anything but simple.

Nazi & Vahid’s Honeymoon

Dir : Payam Hanafi; 14.59 min; Short Fiction; Iran

Nazi and Vahid go on their honeymoon. Vahid has cheated on Nazi many times, but she has always forgiven him. They eventually get married, but at the hotel, a man offers Vahid a temporary marriage.

The Nap Hotel

Dir : Lou Haenggi; 10 min; Short Fiction; Switzerland

Assata wakes in a sunlit living room crowded with mattresses. As she drifts between sleep and memory, she recalls a game her grandmother Roz taught her: imagining a kinder world just beyond the window.

Fantastic 4 X 2

Dir : Ermete Labbadia; 17 min; Short Fiction; Italy

Four strangers, each with a superpower, are sent without explanation to a small, sparsely populated town. 

The Last Day

Dir : Kirill Loginov; 19.41 min; Short Fiction; Russian Federation

On the last day of humanity, Zhenya is making her rounds: parents, ex, alcohol? Everybody has their own plans. Zhenya tries to avoid feeling lonely.

Ghost

Dir : Sasha Gromova; 13.15 min; Short Fiction; Russian Federation 

Seven-year-old Vasya and her grandfather are best friends. One day, Grandpa shares a secret with Vasya: he has a dog left alone at his home, and the dog needs to be rescued.

Haven

Dir : Victoria Mukhonko; 19.24 min; Short Fiction; Russian Federation 

Anya lives in the countryside with her mother. They take care of homeless animals, but Anya wants more. Her dream is to become an actress. When Anya fails the entrance exam, her father shows up for the first time in her life. 

How to make a Portrait of a Bird

Dir : Valentina Eliseeva; 10.41 min; Short Fiction; Russian Federation 

Her appearance was fleeting, like a dream. One phone call and she was gone, leaving the hero suspended between reality and fantasy.

Abraham

Dir : Emad Gharahi; 13.47 min; Short Fiction; Iran

**Abraham** is a man who has transformed a secluded place into a sanctuary of revenge, where men and women, boys and girls who have been sexually abused are brought to confront and punish those who once violated them.

28th Madurai Film Festival 2026 : Indian Documentaries

28th Madurai Film Festival 2026 : Selected films

Section 02 : Indian Documentaries 

Between Threads

Dir : Anoushka Poddar; 11.16 min; Documentary; India 

Between Threads explores the fading tradition of Kantha embroidery through the women who continue to stitch it across rural West Bengal. Once woven from worn saris and layered with memories, Kantha carries stories of family, labour, resilience, and everyday life in every running stitch. Yet as mass-produced imitations and changing consumer preferences reshape the craft, its cultural meaning risks being reduced to a pattern worn without knowledge of the hands and histories behind it.

Lunar Birds

Dir : Srishti Garg; 23.25; Documentary; India 

Set against the nightscape of an Indian city, this documentary explores women’s desire to reclaim the night not just as an act of rebellion , but as a claim to ordinary freedom. Through layered audio interviews, women speak about their complex relationships with the night, a space of longing and solitude, of livelihood and pleasure, but also of fear, harassment, and sexual violence.

Heartbroken

Dir : Sandeep Keshari; 12.36 min; Documentary; India

A documentary exploring teenage emotional worlds—friendship, love, family, and bullying—through intimate lived experiences.

The film was made during a 4 month intensive filmmaking and social justice program run by Nazaria. All members of the film team, including the director, cinematographer, sound recordist and editor are teenagers. Nazaria Arts Collective is a grassroots organization that equips marginalized youth and women with high-quality multimedia arts training and social justice education so they can harness their creative potential, amplify their voices and pursue meaningful careers in the arts.

Meera Aur Meera ki Beti

Dir : Vandana Gupta, Shruti Tripathi, Shreya Tripathi; 11.52 min; Documentary; India 

A mother-daughter story reflecting on inherited labour, gender roles, and quiet resistance within everyday domestic life.

The film was made during a 4 month intensive filmmaking and social justice program run by Nazaria. All members of the film team, including the director, producer, cinematographer, sound recordist and editor are teenagers. Nazaria Arts Collective is a grassroots organization that equips marginalized youth and women with high-quality multimedia arts training and social justice education so they can harness their creative potential, amplify their voices and pursue meaningful careers in the arts.

The Khamyang Story

Dir : Samujjal Kashyap; 24.47 min; Documentary; India

In a quiet corner of Upper Assam lives Bhogeswar Thomung, 83, the last living keeper of the Khamyang language. He is the only person who can still read, write, speak, and fully understand the tongue of his ancestors. Within his voice rests generations of stories, prayers, songs, and wisdom that have never truly existed anywhere else.

Legacy in Tunes

Dir : Gaurang Bhati; 17.56 min; Documentary; India 

Legacy in Tunes chronicles the life of Chanan Khan, the last surviving surmandal player in the Manganiyaar community of Rajasthan. Through his story, the film preserves an endangered musical tradition and honors a family's fight to keep their legacy alive.

The Atomic Weight of Death

Dir : AB; 21.23 min; Documentary; India

The Atomic Weight of Death follows the quiet devastation of the Ganga-Brahmaputra-Meghna region, where the very water that sustains life is a slow-acting poison. Through the eyes of Mohitosh Das, a man undergoing chemotherapy for arsenicosis, and the women of the region's 'widow villages,' the film exposes a chilling landscape of institutional neglect. While local NGOs struggle to provide stop-gap relief, crumbling government infrastructure continues to serve toxic water to the next generation in schools.

Technocats

Dir : Gautam Sonti; 85 min; Documentary; India 

Seven young people from seven parts of the country (the Seven Samurai) dream of joining the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). Competing against one million applicants, they gain admission, but are soon disillusioned. Will they make their presence felt on the world stage? Or burn out along the way? The filmmaker, an IIT alumnus, follows the Seven Samurai over seven years—from their first semester to the third year of their careers. Interwoven with their journey are four of the filmmaker’s classmates from 35 years ago, including one who made an audiovisual on IIT student life.

A Women’s Court

Dir : Samiksha Kherde; 18.18 min; Documentary; India

The documentary follows women who gather in Nari Adalats in rural Bihar to address conflicts within their communities. Many once came here with their own disputes and now return to listen and help work things out.

The film stays with the Adalat as a space where women sit, listen, question, and mediate in sometimes brutal cases.

Street by Street

Dir : Sandeep S; 10 min; Documentary; India

In the bustling streets of Delhi, Manoj Kumar Rai, a migrant from Bihar, has spent over two decades as a street vendor. From selling paan to becoming a leader, he now fights for the rights of unorganized workers throughout the city.

For Every Breath

Dir : Priyanka Mukherjee; 14.45 min; Documentary; India

In a remote village in India, Surbhi navigates a high-risk pregnancy, bound by age-old traditions that often overlook maternal health. Facing silent dangers for her and her child, she meets Geeta, a community health worker in her village who intervenes to help her access the critical care Surbhi requires. This is a powerful story of resilience, community, and the fight to ensure safe motherhood.

Karangi Karangi Karangi

Dir : Neeraj S A; 19.55 min; Documentary; India 

Untitled Kitchen’s, an artist collective's "Karakkam" is a journey from Gujarat to Kerala on cycle, meandering along the coasts while engaging with communities through shared kitchen practices. Along the way, the collective creates music, art, and murals, while gathering oral histories shaped by each place they pass through.

Made with Love : The Eau Chew Legacy

Dir : Shloke Chatterjee; 14 min; Documentary; India 

Awaaz Do - the world will listen

Dir : Yuvaan Pandey; 71 min; Documentary; India 

In a country where cricket is celebrated with near-religious fervour, the Indian Women’s Blind Cricket Team has spent years fighting for a place in the national imagination. For a group of women from across India, cricket is more than a sport. It is a path towards independence, community, and a future of their own making.

Inheritance of the Sea

Dir : Fateh Jahaan Singh Dhaliwal; 22.24 min; Documentary; India

Inheritance Of The Sea explores the evolving relationship between people and the sea in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, tracing shifts in livelihoods and economic well-being since the 2004 tsunami. Through the lived experiences of fishers, students, guides, and researchers, it reveals how the ocean continues to shape culture, identity, and survival.

A Damaged Furnace

Dir : Darshan Abhay Raikar; 16.47 min; Documentary; India 

In India, elderly people are spending more and more time in front of their phone screens. This daily gesture, seemingly trivial, gradually reveals a deeper loneliness. As family conversations fade and everyone retreats into their own screen, the phone becomes a presence for them, a refuge, sometimes the last link to the world. The film thus explores the silent erasure of the elderly within the family and emotional space.

Echoes on the Walls

Dir : Nilesh Arun Kunjir; 44 min; Documentary; India

Echoes on the Walls journeys across India’s cities, villages, and indigenous landscapes to document artists who transform public walls into sites of cultural memory and living heritage. 

The Cluster Fig Flowers

Dir : Aronn Miitr; 19.20 min; Documentary; India 

Set in rural India, Goolar Ke Phool is a sensitive and gently humorous film that unfolds through the conversations of two farmers—Murari, an elderly man shaped by years of agricultural hardship, and his young nephew, Puttu. Most of the film takes place beneath the shade of a tree, where the two sit, observe life around them, and reflect on their personal struggles and the changing world.