Paridrishya: Mysuru's International festival of short films, documentaries begins February 20

The fourth edition of the three-day international festival of short films and documentaries, Paridrishya-2026, organised by the Mysuru Cinema Society, will begin at Maharaja’s College Grounds in Mysuru on Friday. The festival will showcase Indian and international short films, documentaries and short narratives, along with masterclasses, panel discussions, musical evenings and more.

This year’s theme, ‘Global Perspectives - Cinema Beyond Borders’, will feature international cinema from Iran, Spain, Italy, France, Poland, Germany, Brazil, China and Russia. The festival will also present a pan-Indian selection of films in Kannada, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Assamese, Gujarati and Marathi. The documentary section will focus on real-life stories related to the environment, culture, art and urban life, while the short narrative segment will include experimental films rooted in human connection and social commentary.

The festival will be inaugurated at 10 am on Friday, followed by screenings from 12 noon. Indian films to be screened include Kautuka; Theyyam – Mortals to Immortals; The Artist; Following the Past (Gatanugama); Samiran Deka; Syncopated Soul of Kolkata; Dharmo Rakshati Rakshitah; Varanasi – The City of Nirvana; Web of Life; Joggers Park; and Tick Tock. International films scheduled for screening include Listen to Space; Full Moon; FOU D’EUX; Leachate – The Tide Turns; and Ivan the Terrible.

On Saturday, screenings will begin at 9 am. Films lined up include Maya; Titli – Butterflies; The First Film; Prodigal; Bisibelebath; Thanikai – The Audition; Janda; Kashi – Aadi; Ant or Moksha; Matarin Khoda; Bow Barracks: Beyond the Red Bricks; Paddyamagche Duniya; Seragu; Free Tour; Endosulfan: A Legacy of Suffering; Whispers of Monsoon; Wishbox; Death at the House of Purple; Gagan Gaman – Skyward; Pakhi; Canvas; Sharada Teacher; Assassination in Progress; Cuc-Ko; Aghareed; Mother; and Sheep.

On Sunday, films including Theyyattam; Pranam Kashi; The Day Before the Wedding; Kaju Biscuit; Village of Bastards; Rudhi; Regret; Mugguru; Otta Maram Kavalla – A Biodiversity Story; Sharavathi Sangathya; Tasian; Worker; Preferentes – The King of Shivlings; The Bedaravesha I Saw; Chaarikaandha (The Four Shoulders); Black Rain in My Eyes; and Hazzra will be screened.

Master Class

Masterclasses will be held across all three days. On Day 1, Jogi Girish Rao Hartwar will conduct a session on writing screenplays, while Manish Desai will speak on ‘The Future of Documentary Filmmaking: Technology, Distribution and Audience Engagement’.

On Day 2, P Sheshadri will lead a session on direction practices, and Timothy Pollock will present ‘Analyzing Ozu: The Most Japanese of Directors’. A panel discussion on ‘Cinema as a Tool for Shaping Narratives’ featuring Manju Borah and Manish Saini will be moderated by Shriraj Gudi.

On Day 3, the forum for critical conversations will include a panel discussion on ‘Story to Screenplay’. Vikas Negiloni will be in conversation with director Pani Ramachandra. Another panel discussion on ‘The Path of Kannada Cinema’ featuring Rajendra Singh Babu and Girija Lokesh will be moderated by Arun Bharadwaj.

Swara Sandhya

Beyond film screenings, the festival will host ‘Swara Sandhya’ musical evenings from 7 pm to 9.30 pm. Rajesh Krishnan and M D Pallavi with their teams will perform on Day 1, followed by Hemanth Kumar and Lahari Mahesh with their team on Day 2. An award ceremony and exhibition will be held on the concluding day.