Tahira Kashyap, known as the ‘Festival Kid’, earns recognition for her work at film festivals

Chandigarh, March 29 (IANS): Writer and director Tahira Kashyap, known for her work in film festivals, shared her views on the significance of such events in her career at the Cinevesture International Film Festival 2024 (CIFF).

Kashyap expressed her love for film festivals, stating, “I am a festival kid only. I got my acknowledgement through film festivals only. When I made my first short film ‘Toffee’ it was selected at many film festivals, and that was a very gratifying experience for a first-time director. I love short films and film festivals.”

Reflecting on her experience, Kashyap highlighted the exposure to diverse cinema and networking opportunities at festivals like MAMI Film Festival. She mentioned, “Once you are a part of such festivals, you are also exposed to other filmmakers and other sessions. I got to see some really world-class cinema.”

Kashyap shared an anecdote from her visit to the Taiwan International Film Festival, where she found unexpected admiration for Indian films. She said, “I was surprised to see all Taiwanese kids loving Indian films. So, I feel that there is a lot of respectability and credibility when it comes to film festivals.”

Discussing the value of short films, Kashyap emphasized the equal effort required compared to feature films. She added, “Short films are a great way to showcase talent, but for producers, the feature format may work better in the market dynamics. However, if short films are consumed equally on platforms, it gives directors a boost to showcase their stories.”

In conclusion, Kashyap praised the production of short films in regional languages as a means to introduce diverse storytelling to unexplored regions. She stated, “It is a great way to introduce a language to a region which is not being exposed to that. And a short format can get into the market and people can ease up to it.”