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Venice

labiennale.org/en/cinema
The Venice Film Festival in Italy is the oldest and one of the most prestigious film festivals still running. It was founded in 1932 by Count Giuseppe Volpi and has taken place every year since late August or early September on the island of the Lido, Venice. Lido is on an 11-kilometre stretch of sand of Venice jutting out on to the azure waters of the Adriatic Sea. Screenings take place in the historic Palazzo del Cinema on the Lungomare Marconi. Venice also hands out four prestigious awards every year: the Leone d'Oro (Golden Lion) for best film screened at the festival; the Coppa Volpi (Volpi Cup) for the best actor and actress; and the San Marco Award for the best film of the Controcorrente (against the stream). The red carpet rolls out for the stars every year — even the Second World War couldn’t stop the Italians. They created the Mussolini awards after the dictator himself! Yes, the festival used to be more focused on Italian films, but now it’s opening up for the mainstream. Between the beach, the stars and the films, this is as about as close as perfect it gets for a film festival.

Toronto International Film Festival

tiff.net
When it first launched in 1976, the Toronto International Film Festival was not in the big leagues. But 30 years later, Time noted that the festival had “grown from its place as the most influential fall film festival to the most influential film festival, period.” After all, Toronto is Hollywood North and has a worldwide reputation for being a film city. TIFF is the premier film festival in North America and where the Oscars race really begins. No wonder so many film directors choose to bring their films here, such as Slumdog Millionaire, Ray and American Beauty. TIFF has been moving toward more mainstream Hollywood films, but its heart is still very much in the indie scene. Last year, Bollywood star Aamir Khan’s wife Kiran Rao chose Toronto as the destination for her première of the sensitive ode to Bombay, Dhobi Ghat. TIFF is relatively inexpensive — compared to some of the European film festivals — and is a noncompetitive fest with excellent timing for generating Oscar buzz. TIFF is more of a people’s fest; that’s why they have People’s Choice Awards. The festival runs for 11 days every September and picks up audiences of more than 250,000 annually. The stars descend in droves and it’s a great chance to celeb-stalk without spending a dime.

South Asian International Film Festival

saiff.org
This not-for-profit organization is dedicated to supporting South Asian filmmakers in New York City. The newly fledging festival is only in its seventh year, but it has a commitment to support emerging filmmakers who might not get as much visibility in the mainstream cinema world. Last year, indie director Anurag Kashyap’s thriller That Girl in Yellow Boots opened the festival along with several other hot films such as Saurabh Shukla’s Paapu Can’t Dance Saala and celebs such as Cannes regular Nandita Das. The festival also partners with HBO and The New York Post. This festival is a great chance to see gritty, meaningful films created by the Indian Diaspora and a definite break from the run-of-the-mill Bollywood masala films. SAIFF features all kinds of films, from documentaries to shorts to full-length features. Although still in its wee years, watch out for SAIFF: this is a festival that is going places and, best of all, it celebrates South Asians the world over.

Cannes

festival-cannes.fr
This very exclusive and private festival dates back to 1946 at the historic Palais des Festivals et des Congrès in the resort town of Cannes in the South of France. The May film festival is the darling of the film fraternity including Bollywood’s first lady Aishwarya Rai, who has been a regular alongside hubby Abhishek Bachchan. Cannes has always been fond of South Asian cinema and has always given it a nod by premièring and showcasing films. Cannes is also a great way to take a spin around the globe without actually leaving France; the festival offers an opportunity to determine a particular country’s image of its cinema and generally fosters the notion that European cinema is “art.” The festival also hands out the Palme d’Or, the highest prize for the best film each year. Proof of their good taste is in their winners — Fahrenheit 9/11, The Pianist, Pulp Fiction, Taxi Driver and Apocalypse Now. Cannes makes waves every year. You can miss the Oscars, but you can’t miss Cannes.

Aspen Shortsfest

aspenfilm.org
Well, the name makes it all clear. Aspen Shortsfest celebrates the art of short film in all of its forms. The festival’s slogan, “Great Directors Start Short,” is full of cheek and nerve. From these ‘short’ directors, you’ll get everything from comedy and drama to the experimental and documentary in a concerted effort to present a well-balanced fest. Since 1979, the Aspen Shortsfest has been the destination for serious cinephiles for six days every April, offering the best of the shorts and Colorado’s snow-capped peaks. This is the perfect festival for those who don’t have the patience to sit through an overwhelming 120-minute movie. Shorts do their business in a succinct 40 minutes or less. Last year, the understated film festival showcased more than 80 films from more than two dozen countries. The best part? Appealing to youth and adults, 90 per cent of these programs are offered at no charge at all.

BY TAMARA BALUJA / PUBLISHED IN THE FASHION, STYLE & HOLIDAY ISSUE OCTOBER 2011
CELEBRITY PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF ASAC LA BIENNALE DI VENEZIA; TIFF BELL LIGHTBOX COURTESY OF TIFF