Jio MAMI 17th Mumbai Film Festival hosts the ‘Women In Film’ panel discussion with eminent women from the world of cinema

Jio MAMI 17th Mumbai Film Festival with Star India brought together distinguished women from Indian and international cinema. Shabana Azmi, Vidya Balan, Kangana Ranaut, Kiran Rao, Anupama Chopra and American filmmaker Ava DuVernay took part in a conversation on Women in Film that was powered by Lifebuoy and their initiative 'Help a Child Reach 5' that examined the position of women in film today.

The session commenced with the screening of a moving film about Lifebuoy’s ‘Help a Child Reach 5’ initiative. Made by acclaimed director Anand Gandhi, the film which deals with the issue of infant mortality left the audience visibly touched. The discussion was then kicked off by Anuvab Pal who moderated the conversation and touched upon important topics ranging from the relation between gender and characters to the wage disparity that still remains prevalent across many industries.

In response to a question, Kangana Ranaut expressed, “I feel it’s not about female or male centric characters, it is about a character that has lived and been loved.”

Vidya Balan shares her views stating that, "I have seen growth and I am happy with it. You have to look at the journey and not the destination."

Talking about the portrayal of women in films, actor Shabana Azmi said, “It has been left to parallel cinema to portray women with any kind of complexity.”

Ava DuVernay spoke about the issues women face in Hollywood and said, “There is a definite kind of film a woman is allowed to make”. She then added, “because of economics women are not given the budget or trust to make films apart from romantic comedy.”

Kiran Rao also expressed that "women must stand up and know their worth and their value"

The panel was preceded by a brunch that celebrated women in film. Attended by women at the top of their game in media and film, the occasion was made even more special by Sula Vineyards which did a tasting of their new sparkling wine- Brut Tropicale.

The 17th Jio MAMI’s Mumbai Film Festival will be held in Mumbai from October 29th to November 5th 2015. The film screenings will take place at PVR Juhu, PVR Citi Mall, Andheri, PVR LP, Phoenix Mills, PVR Ghatkopar and Regal-Colaba.

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ABOUT JIO MAMI VISION 2015
The Mumbai Film Festival is an inclusive movie feast. We showcase the latest cutting-edge, independent cinema - art house fare alongside genre movies from Bollywood and Hollywood and cult international movies. We offer the best of world cinema to the people of Mumbai and we offer the best of Indian cinema to the world. The festival is run by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image popularly known as MAMI. This is a space where we revel in the sheer pleasure of cinema, the joy it gives us and how much it enhances our lives. The goal is to nurture and ignite a passion for movies. We want MAMI to be shorthand for excellence in cinema.

ABOUT JIO MAMI
Mumbai - the financial capital of India is also the epicenter of the Indian film industry. The city plays such a major role in production and dissemination of Indian films and television programmes that it is widely known by its acronym 'Bollywood'. In 1997, a group of film industry stalwarts headed by late Hrishikesh Mukherjee founded the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) as a not-for-profit Trust. Their main objective was to organise an annual International Film Festival which the film industry and the country could be proud of. MAMI has been organising the festival for the last 16 years and aims to foster a climate of good cinema. MAMI engages people from all walks of life across the city and country who enjoy and love good cinema. It is Mumbai’s only film festival that is entirely created and run by film professionals and a group of members from corporate India. Appreciation of good cinema, stripped off all the limiting labels of art and commercial, can only come about through exposure to the best of films the world has to offer.

The Festival is the first step in that direction. In their Mission Statement in 1997, the MAMI Board of Trustees said, "We feel it is the need of the hour to disseminate and inculcate good cinema among Indian audiences. The only way to achieve this is to celebrate cinema by hosting an International Film Festival in Mumbai, India’s film and entertainment capital. MAMI (Mumbai Academy of Moving Image) is committed to start Mumbai's first independent international film festival organized by practicing film makers."