The seventh edition of the Auroville Film Festival, which began on 18 January, is being held virtually in light of the restrictions due to the COVID pandemic. The biennial event will conclude on 23 January.

The first edition of the Auroville Film Festival was held in 2009, and this year, films are being screened under two categories. The International section, which is themed on human unity, comprises 35 films from 18 different countries. The other category, the Aurovilians, showcases 36 films from 14 Aurovilians and residents of the bioregion, including one student. The films give a taste of the creative life in the Auroville area.

Some of the films being screened in the International section are Nandita Das’s short Listen To Her (2020), Sandeep Kumar Verma’s Aarambh (2019), Naveed Mulki and Shaktiraj Jadeja’s short documentary A Letter From India (2019), Ben Lawrence’s feature Hearts and Bones (2019), Apoorva Satish’s Kanya (2020), Nirmal Chander Dhandriyalmal’s documentary Moti Bagh (2019).

The organizers have partnered with Shift72 to bring the festival online. A statement from them read, “As in previous years, all films are completely free. Most films in the human unity category and all those made by Aurovilians and bioregion residents can be accessed from around the world. The works of those creators who have not given worldwide streaming permission are only available within India.”

The stated aim of the Auroville Film Festival is to make film-viewing a form of “creative expression using digital media and, in the process, to foster a deeper understanding and exploration of the aspirations of Auroville. Through the film festival, the community is engaged in an interactive expression through digital films.”