‘Decision taken with sadness’

Priyanka Chopra Jonas is the MAMI chairperson. Pic/Getty Images

The organisers of Mami Mumbai Film Festival have responded to the statement issued by select filmmakers who expressed their displeasure over the cancellation of the event. "Cancelling an edition is the last resort. If we do not do an edition, we have nothing to show for our existence. So, it is not a decision that has been taken without deep deliberation and immense sadness. MAMI is struggling right now.

In this moment of strife, we request for your understanding and support. We will come back stronger and better, so that we can once again build together what we have all worked so hard to build across the years," read a part of the statement issued by the board of trustees. Select filmmakers, whose movies were set to be screened at the festival, had penned a letter, urging the organisers to revisit their decision of cancelling the in-person festival.

Irfana Majumdar, whose film Shankar's Fairies was to be screened at MAMI, says "The event was cancelled at the last minute. For some of us, this was to mark our film's premiere. We turned down other festivals [to be featured here]." She adds that the filmmakers were not given sufficient information regarding the decision.

"We request them to organise physical screening, even if the scale of the festival is not as big as it usually is. So far, we have not received a positive response from them. [We hope] people in Mumbai support our request, and broaden it. We ask for support [so] that we can organise [the screening] on our own, with the support of people from Mumbai." The filmmakers hope Priyanka Chopra Jonas, the chairperson of MAMI, steps up for them, and supports their cause.