After winning many hearts in 2020 with its first edition, Malhaar Virtual Film Festival is back with a second one. This time, the festival has brought something new to the table. It has partnered with the first and only OTT platform of Bhutan, Samuh. It is the first media-tech startup in Bhutan, launched in 2021.

Organized by Match My [Talent], the Malhaar film festival offers a democratic platform to filmmakers and storytellers who wish to showcase their work and ideas to the world. The team at Malhaar is preparing for the second edition with great enthusiasm, which will go live in July 2022.

A recap of the first season

The festival was widely loved and accepted in its first edition, even in countries outside India. Many International films were also pitched, out of which organizers shortlisted quite a few. ¿Sigues ahi?, a short film by Monica Zamora was one such entry that earned colossal praise and appreciation throughout the film round. ¿Sigues ahi? is a lockdown-based suspense thriller film.

The first season was appreciated by many Indian cinema legends like Rajit Kapoor, Adil Husain, Ajayant Vincent, Neeraj Kabi, and Gautam Vaze.

The excitement continues: Season 2

A feather in the cap of India’s Biggest Virtual Film Festival is the 360-Hours Filmmaking Challenge in April 2022. In this challenge, filmmakers had to make a film within 360 hours on specific keywords. The films will be premiered during the final festival, and selected winners will be honored during the same event. As many as 100+ registrations came in for the 360-Hours Filmmaking Challenge.

The organization has decided to employ blockchain-based NFTs to retain ownership and revenue from the artists and creators. Additionally, Malhaar will be incorporating badges and NFT into its business model.

A word from the festival director

What makes a film different? There’s no direct answer. We all have stories to tell, and we have different versions. Each version is unique in its way.

Sonia Swaroop Choksi, Festival Director and the co-founder of Match My [Talent], believes that the festival is an inclusive space for amateur and professional filmmakers from different communities and regions. The festival is not bound to genders and cultures. “Whatever story you want to tell, we welcome you with open arms,” says Sonia Swaroop Choksi.

She adds, “After the grand success of its first edition, the Malhaar festival is back this year to give a platform to filmmakers to show their magic with their movies on themes like mental health, education, migration, gender issues, and passion.”

With so many entries, the festival is set to go live on July 9, 2022. Filmmakers and cinematographers can come together and have conversations about their films. Some of the more notable films and filmmakers will be recognized during the main festival, such as the Best Indian Short Film, The Best International Short Film, Best Short Film Under 20 Minutes, etc. will also be announced during the main event. 

This season, Malhaar Short Film Festival also has something innovative and unique. The organization will be using blockchain-based Non Fungible tokens to deliver ownership and monetized honor to the filmmakers, storytellers, and artists.

So, all the cinema lovers, buckle up as India’s Biggest Virtual Film Festival is about to go live.

For more details, you can visit their official website: https://www.matchmytalent.com/initiatives/malhaar/

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