Nainital Film Festival

The first Nainital Film Festival took place from 7-8 November in 2009. The fourth edition of the festival took place in 2015. Filmmakers Sanjay Kak, Rahul Roy, Saba Dewan and Ajay Bhardwaj have participated in the festival. The people’s poet Vidrohi and the team if the film DaayenYaBaayen have also addressed the audience at the festival. Exhibition of the work of B Mohan Negi who makes poetry postcards and childrens’ sessions were other highlights of the festival. Many important films including DaayenYaBaayen, Magh Mela and Factory were screened at the festival. One edition of the festival was dedicated to N.S. Thapa chief producer of Films Division. The festival is organized as a collaboration between cinema of resistance’s Nainital chapter, YugManch and Jan SanskritiManch. The collaborations that were formed during the festival also resulted in the production of the documentary film Kabootari Devi on the celebrated folk singer Kabutari Devi on 2018. Uttara, YugManch and Nainital Film Society worked together to make this film. Historian and a native of Nainital Shekhar Patakrenounced his Padma Shri during his speech in the 2015edition of the festival as part of award wapasi protests against the instances of lynching and other hate crimes in the country. Key organisers of the festival are Zahoor Alam, Munni Banu and Uma Bhatt.