21st IAWRT Asian Women's Film Festival | Day 1

21st IAWRT Asian Women's Film Festival | C.D. Deshmukh Auditorium + Conference Room 1

The festival kicks off with a full day of bold, diverse storytelling from across Asia and beyond — culminating in a grand Opening Ceremony in the evening.

The morning opens with Qamajai by Yerkezhan (Kei) Sabitbekova (Germany/Kazakhstan) and the award-winning feature Dare To Dream by Ranu Ghosh (India). The late morning brings a rich cluster of short and medium films — Conversations and Dreams by Melanya Hamasyan (Armenia/Czech Republic), Kitchen Films by N. Lavanya Ramaiah, and Land/Water / Dongar/Pani by Sanjivani Kamble — all with Q&As with filmmakers in attendance.

The afternoon features Nipaniya, The Waiting Game, Ocean of Bandhani / Bandhani No Dariyo, and Bali, followed by the highly anticipated feature-length Music in a Village Named 1PB by Surabhi Sharma (India, 2h 10m) — a sweeping musical documentary that has been a festival favourite on the circuit.

Running parallel in Conference Room 1 at 4:00 PM is the Chinese feature Like a Rolling Stone by Lichuan Yin (1h 52m) — a riveting look at a generation adrift.

The evening belongs to the Opening Ceremony at 6:15 PM, followed by the opening films: the delicate short Ms. Understoned by Yuki Buma (Japan) and the acclaimed feature I, the Song by Dechen Wangmo Roder (Bhutan) — a visually stunning debut that has drawn praise across international festivals.

Join us for a landmark edition of one of Asia’s most prestigious festivals dedicated to women filmmakers. Organized by the IAWRT (International Association of Women in Radio & Television) India Chapter, the 21st Asian Women’s Film Festival (AWFF) returns to New Delhi this March to showcase the diverse narratives, creative brilliance, and powerful perspectives of women from across the Asian continent and its diaspora.

Launched in 2005, the AWFF has spent over two decades building a vibrant platform for feminist storytelling. This year’s festival is our largest yet, featuring a carefully curated selection of 74 films representing 23 countries, ranging from powerful documentaries to imaginative animations and gripping feature films.

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