Habitat International Film Festival kicks off with the screening of Marco Tullio Giordana's 'La Vita Accanto'

Scheduled to run from March 21 to 30, the festival offers over 70 films from around 15 countries, with the limelight on Italian cinema and restored masterpieces like 'Bicycle Thieves' and 'The Apu Trilogy'.

The Habitat International Film Festival (HIFF) 2025 kicked off in the national capital, marking the beginning of its sixth edition, on March 21. Scheduled to run from March 21 to 30, the festival offers over 70 films from around 15 countries, with the limelight on Italy, the 'Focus Country' for 2025 and restored masterpieces like Bicycle Thieves and The Apu Trilogy.

The festival showcases nearly thirty Italian classic films carefully curated by Stefano Francia di Celle, former director of the Torino Film Festival along with Director of the Italian Embassy Cultural Centre Andrea Anastasio. The selection is majorly divided into two segments: contemporary Italian films from 2024 and a retrospective celebrating the centenary of legendary actor Marcello Mastroianni.

The opening day paid tribute to the filmmaker Marco Tullio Giordana with the special screening of his true psychological thriller, La Vita Accanto (The Life Apart) at Stein Auditorium in the Indian Habitat Centre (IHC).

Giordana, who was also present at the screening, had an insightful Q&A session, during which he shared insights and discussed the intricacies of filmmaking with the jam-packed audience. The event also saw eminent celebrities, movie critics, globally recognised filmmakers and cinema lovers in attendance.

Along with presenting contemporary global cinema, HIFF 2025 will pay tribute to legendary directors through screenings of restored masterpieces by Satyajit Ray, Vittorio De Sica, Federico Fellini, and other cinematic greats.

The "open for all" festival will take audiences on an immersive cinematic journey through global storytelling and exceptional artistic brilliance.