The 18th edition of the Habitat Film Festival 2026 concluded magnificently on May 24, 2026, after ten vibrant days of cinematic celebration at India Habitat Centre. Bringing together an expansive and compelling showcase of Indian cinema, the festival reaffirmed its stature as one of the country’s most significant platforms for alternative, regional, and independent storytelling.
Held from May 15 to 24, the festival screened around 79 films across 20 languages, including 45 feature films, a four-film retrospective of legendary filmmaker Ritwik Ghatak, and a restored classic presentation. The event also featured 19 short films and 15 documentaries, drawing a footfall of over 10,000 attendees over the course of the festival.
The closing day culminated with the screening of the acclaimed Marathi feature Tighee, which received an overwhelming response from audiences and brought the festival to a deeply emotional and celebratory conclusion. Throughout the ten-day journey, many filmmakers participated in engaging post-screening discussions, with several sessions also featuring cast and crew members, transforming the festival into a lively space for cinematic dialogue and exchange.
This year’s edition presented a rich tapestry of storytelling from painstakingly restored classics to bold contemporary voices emerging from Kerala, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Assam, Bengal, and beyond. Honouring the golden era of Indian parallel cinema while embracing a new generation of independent and digital-first storytellers, HFF 2026 celebrated the diversity and evolving language of Indian filmmaking.
Among the festival’s most celebrated highlights was a curated showcase of restored classics, including Umrao Jaan, presented as a luminous tribute to the timeless artistry of Asha Bhosle. The festival also celebrated the enduring legacy of screen legends Dharmendra and Asrani with a special screening of the beloved classic Chupke Chupke, inviting audiences to rediscover its charm and brilliance on the big screen.
A major attraction of the festival was the special retrospective dedicated to Ritwik Ghatak, featuring four of his seminal masterpieces – Meghe Dhaka Tara, Komal Gandhar, Subarnarekha, and Jukti Takko Aar Gappo offering audiences an immersive experience into his deeply poetic and haunting cinematic universe.
The contemporary line-up featured several acclaimed and emerging works including Moham, The Elysian Field, Vanya, and Tighee, spotlighting diverse narratives and fresh cinematic voices from across the country. The festival also highlighted the work of more than 15 women filmmakers, underlining its continued commitment to inclusivity and representation in cinema.
Prof. (Dr.) KG Suresh, Director, India Habitat Centre, said, “As we conclude the 18th edition of the Habitat Film Festival, we celebrate not only cinema but the extraordinary diversity of voices, visions, and stories that continue to shape India’s cultural imagination. HFF remains a space where timeless classics and bold contemporary narratives come together to inspire dialogue, reflection, and a deeper appreciation of storytelling as an art form.”
The festival also featured a curated showcase of short films and documentaries from Film and Television Institute of India, a special package by the Indian Documentary Producers’ Association, works nominated by the Film Critics Guild, and short documentaries by the Public Service Broadcasting Trust, bringing together intimate, independent, and deeply personal narratives from across the country.
Alongside the screenings, HFF 2026 offered a vibrant line-up of conversations and masterclasses with distinguished voices from cinema and animation. Two-time National Award-winning filmmaker Kamakhya Narayan Singh conducted a masterclass titled From Research to Reel: Crafting Feature Film Stories, while acclaimed animation filmmaker and curator Dhvani Desai joined film critic and journalist Murtaza Ali Khan for an insightful conversation on Animation Storytelling: India vis-à-vis the World.
A special exhibition presented in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts showcased rare Hindi film posters from the 1950s onwards, alongside vintage advertising posters and brand endorsements featuring legendary film personalities from different eras, adding a rich visual and archival dimension to the festival experience.
More than a film festival, HFF 2026 emerged as a vibrant cultural movement, an evolving ecosystem where cinema not only reflects the present but also imagines the future. Bringing together students, critics, filmmakers, artists, and cinephiles under one roof, the festival once again affirmed its role as an essential annual celebration of India’s ever-expanding cinematic landscape.
About: The 18th Habitat Film Festival from May 15 to 24, brings together a handpicked selection of feature films, documentaries, and shorts from 2025–2026. Screenings are paired with conversations with filmmakers, alongside retrospectives, workshops, a book discussion, and an exhibition. Built for collective viewing and shared discovery, HFF remains a cherished annual stop for directors, critics, students, and anyone who loves cinema that thinks aloud.
For more info, visit: https://indiahabitat.org/Events
