The Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival with Star offers the best of world cinema to the people of Mumbai and the best of Indian cinema to the world. The Mumbai Film Festival will take place from 17 to 24 October 2019. Nivin Pauly starrer Moothon directed by actor-turned-director Geethu Mohandas has been chosen to be screened as the opening film at this year’s edition of MAMI festival.

2019 marks the 21st year of the festival and the mission statement stated by the MAMI Board of Trustees in 1997 continues to be a reflection of the initiative- “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 which is the birthplace of Indian Cinema) and its 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.”

MAMI organizes the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival with Star, an annual international film festival, which engages film lovers from all walks of life across the city and country and aims to foster a climate of good cinema.

It showcases the latest cutting-edge, independent cinema – art house fare alongside genre movies from Bollywood and Hollywood and cult international movies. It offers the best of world cinema to the people of Mumbai and the best of Indian cinema to the world.

The festival is run by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Image popularly known as MAMI. Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival With Star is a space where Aamir Khan, Quentin Tarantino, Zhang Yimou and Rajinikanth would all feel equally at home. According to the organizers, 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 Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival With Star to be shorthand for excellence in cinema.”

MAMI Mumbai Film Festival boasts of various sections and multiple awards. Earlier this year, the board of trustees of Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) expanded the role of Creative Director Smriti Kiran and appointed her Artistic Director of the Academy.

Kiran, a journalist, creative producer and author with over two decades of experience in the television and film industry, has worked with some of the most prestigious companies (NDTV, Star India, Vinod Chopra Films, Cherry Tree Productions) and created flagship properties that have endured (Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai, Night Out, Picture This, The Front Row, Film Companion). For the last 4 years, she has been the Creative Director of MAMI.

She is widely known as an indefatigable tour de force under whose tutelage, the festival was rejuvenated and transformed into a cutting-edge, holistic Academy that bridges many gaps in the Indian film landscape with its robust Year Round Programme and industry imprint.

This is probably the first time a Malayalam film is opening at the MAMI. The film will be screened at the 21st opening ceremony of the festival, which will commence on October 17.

Nivin Pauly is said to be playing a doctor in this flick. Besides Nivin Pauly, it stars Unni Mukundan in an important role as well. The film has three Bollywood actors – Shashank Arora, Shobitha Dhulipala and Harish Khanna – in important roles. It also has Sujith Shankar, Soubin Shahir and Alencier Ley in the star cast.

To be released in Malayalam and Hindi, noted filmmaker Anurag Kashyap is penning the script for the Hindi version. The National Award-winning cinematographer and Geetu Mohandas’ husband Rajeev Ravi is cranking the camera for Moothon.

Handling the editing department of Moothon is Ajithkumar while Govind Vasantha is in charge of the music. The movie is bankrolled jointly by Bollywood filmmaker Anand L Rai’s production house Colour Yellow Productions and Jar Pictures. Eros International will be presenting the movie. With so much entertainment, excitement and enlightenment in store, all roads lead to MAMI festival.