Lucknow – Lucknow is set to host a two-day Short Film Festival from October 25 to 26, organized by the Emran Foundation with support from the Tourism Department. The festival, themed “Frames of Humanity: Where Compassion Meets Cinematic Talent”, will screen 20 short films in multiple languages including Hindi, English, Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, and Gujarati, highlighting messages of compassion, creativity, and social awareness.
The festival will be inaugurated by former MP Prof. Rita Bahuguna Joshi and visual artist-filmmaker Dheeraj Singh at the Uttar Pradesh Sangeet Natak Akademi. Special screenings from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), independent filmmaker showcases, and student-directed stories will feature throughout the event, reflecting human emotions, social issues, and transformative narratives.
Day one will feature a poetic session, “The Story of Four Assistants”, by storyteller Lakshya Maheshwari, while on day two, renowned dancer Sanjukta Sinha will perform Sacred Bells, exploring compassion and strength through dance. Additionally, actress Huma Qureshi and writer-director Sunny Singh will host a discussion on “Salma Maharani: Women and Identity in Modern Indian Cinema”, and filmmakers Jyoti Kapoor Das along with past festival winners will discuss the importance of film festivals for independent filmmakers.
Festival Director Gaurav Dwivedi emphasized that the event provides a vibrant platform to celebrate Indian cinema, nurture emerging talent, and foster a cinema-friendly environment in Uttar Pradesh.
