The fifth edition of the Urban Lens Film Festival runs from 20 – 23 September 2018 in Bengaluru and 16 – 18 November 2018 in New Delhi in association with the Goethe-Institut / Max Mueller Bhavan in both cities.

The growth of cinema world over has been deeply influenced by different forms of urbanization. The Urban Lens Film Festival hopes to excavate aspects of this symbiotic relationship especially in countries of the Global South. Asia, Latin America and Africa have cinematic traditions that reflect their histories and complexities. The story of urbanization in these countries have distinct trajectories as compared to countries of the North, and the festival attempts to bring together these myriad films that argue and are in conversation with each other. The festival will screen films from various genres such as fiction, non-fiction, animation and experimental films, made over a wide span of the last sixty years.

Like previous editions, the festival hopes to further diverse discourses around film practices and forms and its intrinsic relationship to the city. Post-screening discussions with the director open up an interaction space for the audience, bringing in a multiplicity of perspectives that make the experience of community viewing richer. This remains one of the most important aspects of the festival. There will also be a Masterclass on the role, position and trajectories of cities in films and an in-depth conversation with a film practitioner, who will take us through the process of unbundling their craft.

We hope that these dialogues and exchanges will highlight the politics and concerns around cities and generate a new meaning of the role cinema plays in shaping our understanding of urban issues.