14th Chennai International Documentary and Short Film Festival 2026
21-28 February; multiple venues, Chennai
Organised by MARUPAKKAM 30
Category – Indian Documentary
The Waves Will Never Stop
Dir: Kartik Sreenivasan, Sai Krishna L V, Sanjana Reddy; 10:00 min; Documentary; India
Twenty years after the 2004 Tsunami’s devastation in Bommayapalayam, Narayanan, a fisherman, carries vivid memories of that fateful morning- raging waves that shattered lives and swept away hundreds of homes in the village where he grew up. He and his crew continue to fish in those same waters, while the haunting ruins scattered along the shore linger silently, stuck in time. Amidst Narayanan's ventures into the sea each morning and his wife awaiting for his return at the shore, lies a quiet testament to hope and resilience, unfolding the community's enduring spirit.
All that we Own
Dir: Aprajita Gupta; 29:00 min; Documentary; India
When a woman leaves her natal home, what does she carry with her and what gets left behind? The filmmaker attempts to create a portrait of her mother born to a migrant lineage in Nagaland, India and leads us into an inner landscape of displacement and forgetting. For mum, is visiting her natal home a promise of rootedness or a reminder that belonging is a question still? The film is about inheritance, loss, identity and migration. Through objects, photographs and her grandmother's song, the filmmaker intimately searches for markers of displacement in her maternal lineage and creates an image of continuity.
OUTCAST
Dir: PRINCE P PAPPCHEN; 1:08:05 min; Documentary; India
As part of a voluntary resettlement scheme, a man returns after ten years to a forest village in Wayanad that he had once lived in. The old village is now empty. The place has turned into a forest. This documentary is about remembering the life, the gods, and the people who once existed there.
The Balance Sheet: World Bank & its 80-year legacy
Dir: Joe Athialy; 1:10:00 min; Documentary; India
For 80 years, the World Bank and IMF have fueled displacement, inequality, fossil dependence, and authoritarian regimes—while claiming to fight poverty. The Balance Sheet exposes their legacy and sinister designs, and celebrates global resistance by indigenous people, women, and marginalised communities who dared to challenge their exploitative development model.
See Me, When You Leave
Dir: Dipin Chenayil; 17:37 min; Documentary; India
Kerala, the southernmost state in India, with its lush landscapes, has seen many migrate abroad for work, creating local labor shortages filled by distant migrants. These workers endure isolation, discrimination and uncertainty, often overlooked beyond their labour. Yet, amid struggle, they forge bonds, share stories, and discover solace in fleeting joys.
Where is my Home
Dir: Jaya Jose Raj; 1:03:00 min; Documentary; India
This is a documentary exploring the shifting meaning of home in a globalized world. This documentary delves into the contemporary phenomenon of migration among young Malayalis to developed countries, and the inward migration of skilled labourers from North India to Kerala.
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Kaanal
Dir: Abhishikta Kaila; 8:00 min; Documentary; India
Kaanal, a short documentary - places the towering real estate billboards, IT parks, the shopping malls, metro rail projects that stand tall in Urban spaces as projections of progress, against the harsh reality faced by some socio economic classes left behind, livelihoods destroyed by such constructions - highlighting the gap between promise and access in the face of rapid urban development.
THE RESURRECTION QUEST
MAYURICA BISWAS, RADHIKA CHANDRASEKHAR; 1:01:39 min; Documentary; India
In an age of accelerating biodiversity loss and ecological anxiety, The Resurrection Quest ventures into one of the most radical scientific frontiers of our time: the reversal of extinction.
Spanning seven countries - from the permafrost of the Siberian Arctic to high-tech cloning labs in China, and from Singapore’s veterinary clinics to the savannahs of Kenya; the film weaves together urgent environmental issues with deeply personal stories of grief, hope, and the dream of second chances. Structured around the cyclical concept of Samsara - loss, birth, life, and rebirth; The Resurrection Quest unfolds as a lyrical and urgent meditation on human ambition and planetary grief.
The Well
Dir: Balaji Maheshwar; 1:02:07 min; Documentary; India
In a remote tribal village, a community unearths an age-old well, reviving not just their water source but their deep-rooted cultural and spiritual ties to nature. Bhaavi is an observational portrait of resilience, indigenous knowledge, and the fragile balance between humanity and ecology.
Located at the convergence of Eastern and Western Ghat mountain ranges, near the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border, lies the beautiful and pensive Solaganai tribal village. The Solagars are indigenous tribes who call the forests their home. But this home is without a dependable source of drinking water for most parts of the year, especially during the summer months. To bring one pot of drinking water, the people of Solaganai had to walk many miles, up and down hilly areas and down into the valley. For a scenic mountain hamlet, supposedly where springs and streams originate, this fate seemed ironic. This leads us to question our actions that disrupt ecological balance.
‘बूढ़ा अंकल (Booda uncle / old man) IS CRAFTING FUTURES’
Dir: Kashish Kanojia; 10:13 min; Documentary; India
Meet a 91-year-old craftsman whose dedication defies age. In this heartwarming documentary, we dive into the life of a retired man who spends his golden years crafting folding study tables for underprivileged children in slums. Through his selfless work, he proves that life doesn’t end after retirement—it transforms into an opportunity to make a difference. Witness his journey of resilience, hope, and the profound impact one person can have on countless lives.
Kavi Kant
Dir: Jay Kholia; 1:25:00 min; Documentary; India
Manishankar Ratnaji Bhatt (1867 - 1923) AKA Kavi Kant. A poet, writer, translator, playwright, thinker and above all, a seeker of love and truth. This film is the first of its kind of documentary work on the life and works of Kavi Kant.
The Third
Dir: Niladri Sekhar Dassarma; 1:00:43 min; Documentary; India
TRITIYA – the third, is a documentary on the fierce journey of a transgender poetess and social activist Rani Mazumdar. It showcases Rani’s fight against the social and political challenges and her desires of being a transperson.
Bow Barracks: Beyond the Red Bricks
Dir: Vaidyanath Nishant; 25:25 min; Documentary; India
The 300 year-old city of Kolkata is a place where colonial grandeur meets bustling modernity. But beyond the well-told tales of its food, architecture, and festivals lies a story often overlooked.
Nestled near Esplanade’s chaos stands Bow Barracks, a red-bricked settlement built in 1918 to house soldiers returning from World War I. It now stands as one of the oldest Anglo-Indian settlements in India, but over the decades, many have left to settle abroad and find their ways of life. The Barracks now remains, guarded by the few who chose to stay - guarding a heritage which has been long overshadowed by the glitz and glam of the city’s urban development and expansion. It is a fragile yet vibrant testament to a heritage that refuses to fade, even as the city around it keeps evolving.
The documentary intends to showcase the lived experiences of Bow Barracks and the people that grew up in it, while also encompassing the contributions of the diminishing Anglo-Indian community for the country.
HAPUSA - a truly Indian gin
Dir: Thomas Fitch; 13:43 min; Documentary; India
HAPUSA is a short documentary about India's first domestic gin distillery. The film follows Anand Virmani as he takes us through the beginnings of an idea, the hunt for juniper in India, and the creative process that lead to India’s first domestic award winning gin.
Kelad
Dir: Shruti Jagdale; 22:43 min; Documentary; India
The documentary explores Kelad, a serene village in the Vellha region, capturing its people’s daily struggles and deep rooted connection to rice farming. Surrounded by lush greenery and thick clouds, the village thrives in harmony with nature. Through resilience and simplicity, the film unveils Kelad’s essence, showcasing how the interplay of soil, water, air, fire, and sky shapes its unique spirit.
Letters to you
Dir: Ridashisha Kurbah; 11:08 min; Documentary; India
An 11-minute documentary film of a family of six struggling with the death of the mother, and how each of them tries to accept the loss. The director and her family open up to the world about their grief just 6 months after their loss, and their acceptance is an ongoing process.
ADRAYI
Dir: FARSANA; 47:39 min; Documentary; India
This documentary explores the life and legacy of Mr. K. A. Rahman, the exceptional leader of the Chaliyar River agitation, Kerala . The Chaliyar agitation, led by K. A. Rahman, was one of the first environmental protests in post-colonial India. Yet, his life of struggle and activism remains largely unsung in the history of environmental movements in the country.
The Way to The Sea
Dir: Mika Sasaki; 7:19 min; Documentary; India
Suraj, a film student who left his distant hometown, creates an audio letter for a loved one.
At Cheta's Home
Dir: Tarang Pradip Thakkar; 30:59 min; Documentary; India
As we prepare to part ways with the last home that held my mother’s presence, I find myself watching my father move through this familiar space, living a life of solitude. With his daughter away, he navigates the quiet routines of daily life, accompanied only by silence and his aging parents. The film observes the monotony of everyday life and the silence that lingers between us as we struggle to express our loss.
Bali
Dir: Amoli Birewar; 25:45 min; Documentary; India
In a small village in Maharashtra, Sujata, a young girl from the Banjara tribe, is at that fleeting age when anything feels possible. She dreams of becoming a kabaddi player, inspired by the movies she loves. But as her school years come to an end, she is pushed toward a forced marriage, like generations of women before her. A district-level tournament becomes her last chance to change her future. As she steps onto the Kabaddi court, Sujata slips into a Bollywood-tinted dream, momentarily becoming the hero of her own story.
'Bali' is a bittersweet portrait of growing up in rural India. In a culture where grief and pain are rarely articulated, the film explores how young girls like Sujata cope with hardship through humour, escapism, and quiet resilience.
Karma Gaabo Re.
Dir: Shubham Neware; 47:00 min; Documentary; India
Spread across Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh, the Baiga Tribe has seen its population decline over time. Displaced from their ancestral lands in the 1960s, they have struggled to preserve their traditions in a rapidly evolving world. Yet, deep in the villages of Lagma and Bandhatola, Madhya Pradesh. The echoes of their past still live on, woven into their songs, dances, and unwavering bond with nature.
Karma Gaabo Re, the documentary film offers a rare, intimate glimpse into the Baiga’s way of life, capturing their beliefs, rituals, and the deeper meaning behind their music and dance. More than just performances, these art forms are their way of storytelling, expressing joy, sorrow, and their connection to the land they revere. Film follows a raw, observational approach, unfolding the story naturally, coming from the Baiga itself, in their own rhythm.
“Karma Gaabo Re” means “Let’s sing karma” in English. Karma is a song sung by baiga tribe.
Dir: Jaya Jose Raj; 1:03:00 min; Documentary; India
This is a documentary exploring the shifting meaning of home in a globalized world. This documentary delves into the contemporary phenomenon of migration among young Malayalis to developed countries, and the inward migration of skilled labourers from North India to Kerala.
.
Kaanal
Dir: Abhishikta Kaila; 8:00 min; Documentary; India
Kaanal, a short documentary - places the towering real estate billboards, IT parks, the shopping malls, metro rail projects that stand tall in Urban spaces as projections of progress, against the harsh reality faced by some socio economic classes left behind, livelihoods destroyed by such constructions - highlighting the gap between promise and access in the face of rapid urban development.
THE RESURRECTION QUEST
MAYURICA BISWAS, RADHIKA CHANDRASEKHAR; 1:01:39 min; Documentary; India
In an age of accelerating biodiversity loss and ecological anxiety, The Resurrection Quest ventures into one of the most radical scientific frontiers of our time: the reversal of extinction.
Spanning seven countries - from the permafrost of the Siberian Arctic to high-tech cloning labs in China, and from Singapore’s veterinary clinics to the savannahs of Kenya; the film weaves together urgent environmental issues with deeply personal stories of grief, hope, and the dream of second chances. Structured around the cyclical concept of Samsara - loss, birth, life, and rebirth; The Resurrection Quest unfolds as a lyrical and urgent meditation on human ambition and planetary grief.
The Well
Dir: Balaji Maheshwar; 1:02:07 min; Documentary; India
In a remote tribal village, a community unearths an age-old well, reviving not just their water source but their deep-rooted cultural and spiritual ties to nature. Bhaavi is an observational portrait of resilience, indigenous knowledge, and the fragile balance between humanity and ecology.
Located at the convergence of Eastern and Western Ghat mountain ranges, near the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border, lies the beautiful and pensive Solaganai tribal village. The Solagars are indigenous tribes who call the forests their home. But this home is without a dependable source of drinking water for most parts of the year, especially during the summer months. To bring one pot of drinking water, the people of Solaganai had to walk many miles, up and down hilly areas and down into the valley. For a scenic mountain hamlet, supposedly where springs and streams originate, this fate seemed ironic. This leads us to question our actions that disrupt ecological balance.
‘बूढ़ा अंकल (Booda uncle / old man) IS CRAFTING FUTURES’
Dir: Kashish Kanojia; 10:13 min; Documentary; India
Meet a 91-year-old craftsman whose dedication defies age. In this heartwarming documentary, we dive into the life of a retired man who spends his golden years crafting folding study tables for underprivileged children in slums. Through his selfless work, he proves that life doesn’t end after retirement—it transforms into an opportunity to make a difference. Witness his journey of resilience, hope, and the profound impact one person can have on countless lives.
Kavi Kant
Dir: Jay Kholia; 1:25:00 min; Documentary; India
Manishankar Ratnaji Bhatt (1867 - 1923) AKA Kavi Kant. A poet, writer, translator, playwright, thinker and above all, a seeker of love and truth. This film is the first of its kind of documentary work on the life and works of Kavi Kant.
The Third
Dir: Niladri Sekhar Dassarma; 1:00:43 min; Documentary; India
TRITIYA – the third, is a documentary on the fierce journey of a transgender poetess and social activist Rani Mazumdar. It showcases Rani’s fight against the social and political challenges and her desires of being a transperson.
Bow Barracks: Beyond the Red Bricks
Dir: Vaidyanath Nishant; 25:25 min; Documentary; India
The 300 year-old city of Kolkata is a place where colonial grandeur meets bustling modernity. But beyond the well-told tales of its food, architecture, and festivals lies a story often overlooked.
Nestled near Esplanade’s chaos stands Bow Barracks, a red-bricked settlement built in 1918 to house soldiers returning from World War I. It now stands as one of the oldest Anglo-Indian settlements in India, but over the decades, many have left to settle abroad and find their ways of life. The Barracks now remains, guarded by the few who chose to stay - guarding a heritage which has been long overshadowed by the glitz and glam of the city’s urban development and expansion. It is a fragile yet vibrant testament to a heritage that refuses to fade, even as the city around it keeps evolving.
The documentary intends to showcase the lived experiences of Bow Barracks and the people that grew up in it, while also encompassing the contributions of the diminishing Anglo-Indian community for the country.
HAPUSA - a truly Indian gin
Dir: Thomas Fitch; 13:43 min; Documentary; India
HAPUSA is a short documentary about India's first domestic gin distillery. The film follows Anand Virmani as he takes us through the beginnings of an idea, the hunt for juniper in India, and the creative process that lead to India’s first domestic award winning gin.
Kelad
Dir: Shruti Jagdale; 22:43 min; Documentary; India
The documentary explores Kelad, a serene village in the Vellha region, capturing its people’s daily struggles and deep rooted connection to rice farming. Surrounded by lush greenery and thick clouds, the village thrives in harmony with nature. Through resilience and simplicity, the film unveils Kelad’s essence, showcasing how the interplay of soil, water, air, fire, and sky shapes its unique spirit.
Letters to you
Dir: Ridashisha Kurbah; 11:08 min; Documentary; India
An 11-minute documentary film of a family of six struggling with the death of the mother, and how each of them tries to accept the loss. The director and her family open up to the world about their grief just 6 months after their loss, and their acceptance is an ongoing process.
ADRAYI
Dir: FARSANA; 47:39 min; Documentary; India
This documentary explores the life and legacy of Mr. K. A. Rahman, the exceptional leader of the Chaliyar River agitation, Kerala . The Chaliyar agitation, led by K. A. Rahman, was one of the first environmental protests in post-colonial India. Yet, his life of struggle and activism remains largely unsung in the history of environmental movements in the country.
The Way to The Sea
Dir: Mika Sasaki; 7:19 min; Documentary; India
Suraj, a film student who left his distant hometown, creates an audio letter for a loved one.
At Cheta's Home
Dir: Tarang Pradip Thakkar; 30:59 min; Documentary; India
As we prepare to part ways with the last home that held my mother’s presence, I find myself watching my father move through this familiar space, living a life of solitude. With his daughter away, he navigates the quiet routines of daily life, accompanied only by silence and his aging parents. The film observes the monotony of everyday life and the silence that lingers between us as we struggle to express our loss.
Bali
Dir: Amoli Birewar; 25:45 min; Documentary; India
In a small village in Maharashtra, Sujata, a young girl from the Banjara tribe, is at that fleeting age when anything feels possible. She dreams of becoming a kabaddi player, inspired by the movies she loves. But as her school years come to an end, she is pushed toward a forced marriage, like generations of women before her. A district-level tournament becomes her last chance to change her future. As she steps onto the Kabaddi court, Sujata slips into a Bollywood-tinted dream, momentarily becoming the hero of her own story.
'Bali' is a bittersweet portrait of growing up in rural India. In a culture where grief and pain are rarely articulated, the film explores how young girls like Sujata cope with hardship through humour, escapism, and quiet resilience.
Karma Gaabo Re.
Dir: Shubham Neware; 47:00 min; Documentary; India
Spread across Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh, the Baiga Tribe has seen its population decline over time. Displaced from their ancestral lands in the 1960s, they have struggled to preserve their traditions in a rapidly evolving world. Yet, deep in the villages of Lagma and Bandhatola, Madhya Pradesh. The echoes of their past still live on, woven into their songs, dances, and unwavering bond with nature.
Karma Gaabo Re, the documentary film offers a rare, intimate glimpse into the Baiga’s way of life, capturing their beliefs, rituals, and the deeper meaning behind their music and dance. More than just performances, these art forms are their way of storytelling, expressing joy, sorrow, and their connection to the land they revere. Film follows a raw, observational approach, unfolding the story naturally, coming from the Baiga itself, in their own rhythm.
“Karma Gaabo Re” means “Let’s sing karma” in English. Karma is a song sung by baiga tribe.
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