Bite-sized stories: Treat yourself to acclaimed short films this Sunday in Mumbai

(From left) Filmmakers Lakshmi R Iyer, Prataya Saha and Anshulika Kapoor interact with the audience at a previous CineShorts event

Size does not always matter. As much as that sounds like an excuse, it has been so in nature and art. From the mind-boggling values of NFT (non-fungible tokens) to the short stories of Balzac and Hemingway, minimalism has captured attention far better than large-scale creations. In the new age of filmmaking, short films are a good example of this statement.

Started as a fortnightly gathering of cinephiles in 2019, The Shorts Premiere has grown to become a monthly event. For Saif Hyder, founder, CineShorts Premiere, the monthly gathering offers cinephiles an opportunity to interact with people who share the same passion for cinema. "Our goal is to make accessible and bring to light independent short films in the company of some talented filmmakers," he tells us. The weekend event at St Andrew's Centre for Philosophy and Performing Arts in Bandra will screen four acclaimed short films exploring gender identity, societal bias, adventure and crime.

Saif Hyder

"The layman hardly ever learns about these films," Hyder notes. Having begun as a film club in 2019, CineShorts Premiere rebranded itself through the pandemic to become a platform for short film screenings. Each screening is followed by an interactive session between the audience and the filmmakers. "We try to create an experience where filmmakers can witness their work on the big screen and gauge audience reaction," he adds. These sessions also act as an inspiration for aspiring filmmakers and writers, and even develop into collaborations.

The films on display include Tathagata Ghosh's acclaimed Miss Man, Varun Chounal's immigrant tale Gabroo, Divyesh Gandhi's Bandit's Bazooka, and Sunil Tiwari's Black And White. "It is a surprising fact how a filmmaker can convey a story within a duration as short as five minutes," Hyder muses.

While the venture is starting to branch out into distribution, he maintains that the focus will remain on short features. "The focus will always be on short films that have a new approach to storytelling and style," he signs off.

On: Sunday June 26; 3 pm
At: St Andrew's Centre for Philosophy and Performing Arts, St Dominic Road, Bandra West.
Log on to: insider.in
Cost: Rs 250