Payal Kapadia’s ‘All We Imagine as Light’ to open MAMI film festival; Mumbai to get first look at Cannes-winning film

The movie will première in India on October 18

Payal Kapadia has fond memories of her film student days when she would attend screenings held by the MAMI (Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image) Mumbai Film Festival. Today, life has come full circle as her directorial venture, All We Imagine as Light, has been chosen as the opening film of the festival's 2024 edition. The Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha and Chhaya Kadam-starrer will première at the film gala on October 18.

Kapadia

Kapadia, whose movie made history by becoming the first Indian film to win the Cannes Grand Prix, considers it a "tremendous honour" to showcase the drama on the stage that shaped her love for cinema. "When I was a student in Mumbai, I got a glimpse into world cinema, and cinema from other parts of the country, because of MAMI. I am happy that people in Mumbai will be able to see the film here first," she said.

Set in Mumbai, All We Imagine as Light follows three women, who take a trip to Ratnagiri that allows them the space to reflect upon their life choices. For Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, interim festival director, hosting its India première stands for something bigger. He said, "All We Imagine as Light will always be remembered as a film that won the Grand Prix at Cannes, but it is also an independent film that faced many challenges, especially in finding funding, before it won accolades all over the world. As we begin a new phase in MAMI, this film embodies the kind of cinema that we would like to showcase and provide a platform that will celebrate
independent cinema."