is Going to Mumbai.
Some announcements you plan for. Some you simply didn’t dare to hope for.
The Echo Monastery — our short fiction film about grief, silence, and the words a daughter never got to hear from her father — has been officially selected for the 19th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF 2026), to be held from June 15 to 21, 2026, at the NFDC–Films Division Complex, Mumbai.
Established in 1990 and organised by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, MIFF is South Asia’s oldest and most prestigious festival dedicated to documentary, short fiction, and animation cinema. It is held biennially — and it is where the most significant non-feature films from across the world come to be seen.
1,459 film entries from 47 countries — in over 42 Indian languages and 30+ international languages.
South Asia’s oldest and largest non-feature film festival, held biennially in Mumbai.
Golden & Silver Conch Awards, ₹55 Lakhs in cash prizes, and the V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award.
NFDC–Films Division Complex, Mumbai — with Gala Screenings, Masterclasses, and Waves Doc Bazaar.
To be selected from a field of nearly fifteen hundred films — from forty-seven countries — is something we will carry with us for a long time.
Set against the stark, soul-stirring landscapes of Ladakh, The Echo Monastery follows a grieving woman who makes a long journey to a remote mountain monastery. Its walls, according to legend, do not echo spoken prayers — they echo the words people never had the courage to say aloud.
She goes there hoping to finally hear her father’s voice one last time. What she finds is far more shattering — and far more healing — than she expected.
This film was not planned. It was made in 48 hours — during the L&T Mindtree AI Filmmaking Hackathon at the International Film Festival of Delhi 2026, competing against over 150 entries. Every frame was crafted using generative AI tools, directed with the same cinematic intention that guides any serious production.
Jury: Shekhar Kapur · Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra · Dr. Sujay Sen
150+ competing entries · Created in 48 hours · L&T Mindtree Hackathon
From the IFFD jury’s recognition to the screens of MIFF — the film has now found its place at two of India’s most significant film festival platforms within a single year.
“We did not set out to make a film about AI. We set out to make a film about a daughter who never got to say goodbye to her father.”
FTII alumnus with over 35 years of experience as a director, writer, producer, and educator. His work spans television drama, socially conscious cinema, and documentary filmmaking — including Unparalleled, which documents the endangered Rudra Veena tradition across India. A pioneer in AI-enabled filmmaking methodologies.
Cinematographer, colorist, and filmmaker with over 25 years of experience. Trained under the late Shri Dharam Chopra at B.R. Films, Bharat brings a deep instinct for light, texture, and emotional weight to generative AI filmmaking — using Sora, Veo 3, and other tools to build cinematic worlds from the inside out. Based in Jammu, J&K.
MIFF has always championed cinema that pushes form while honouring feeling. Being part of this edition — in a field of nearly fifteen hundred films from across the world — tells us that emotional truth, regardless of the tools used to create it, continues to be recognised.
We are grateful. And we are ready.
19th Mumbai International Film Festival
June 15–21, 2026
NFDC–Films Division Complex, Gopalrao Deshmukh Marg, Mumbai
Press & enquiries: openframeailabs.in@gmail.com · openframeailab.com
