Looking back at the 13th Indian Film Festival (Indisches Filmfestival) Stuttgart (#IFFStuttgart)

Since 2005, I have been visiting the Indian Film Festival / Indisches Filmfestival Stuttgart (my 2016 preview) almost every year. Here are short Twitter reviews of the 18 movies I was able to watch this year (sorted by rating, the highest one would have been 5 stars/*****):

.@ParchedTheMovie (IND/USA 2015): Powerful drama about emancipation of four rural Indian women. ****½ https://t.co/1rkgstGpCu #IFFStuttgart

— Peter Jebsen (@pjebsen) July 21, 2016

@MasaanTheFilm /Fly Away Solo (IND/F 2015): Bitter-sweet sociopolitical rom-com drama. Highlight! **** https://t.co/6HZH1krxoA #IFFStuttgart

— Peter Jebsen (@pjebsen) July 24, 2016

Zubaan (IND 2015): Exciting indie movie which looks like big-budget Bollywood. Great music! ****½ https://t.co/bPMNEzDTHM #IFFStuttgart

— Peter Jebsen (@pjebsen) July 23, 2016

Nil Battey Sannata (IND 2015): Heart-warming comedy-drama about a mother-daughter relationship. ****½https://t.co/vbteBY8bNv #IFFStuttgart

— Peter Jebsen (@pjebsen) July 24, 2016

.@waitingthefilm (IND 2015): @anumenon1805's uplifting take on grief. Brilliant: @NaseerudinShah ****½ https://t.co/FnEylpG8dc #IFFStuttgart

— Peter Jebsen (@pjebsen) July 24, 2016

Visaaranai/Interrogation (IND 2015): Depressing thriller about homeless Tamils & corrupt cops. ****https://t.co/C4riXmXIh8 #IFFStuttgart

— Peter Jebsen (@pjebsen) July 21, 2016

.@BrahmanNaman (IND/UK 2016): Surprisingly smart and funny Bangalore teen sex comedy. **** of ***** https://t.co/bJM03xLY3Q #IFFStuttgart

— Peter Jebsen (@pjebsen) July 22, 2016

In some weird way, I think #BrahmanNaman is an important step for Indian cinema. 10 more of these instead of one more Golmaal. #IFFStuttgart

— Mette Kowalski (@mettekowalski) July 21, 2016

Island City (IND 2015): 3 clever tragi-comic episodes about alienation. Excellent: @TannishthaC. **** https://t.co/FcHNhz1Awi #IFFStuttgart

— Peter Jebsen (@pjebsen) July 22, 2016

Kothanodi/The River of Fables (IND 2015): Beautifully shot & acted mix of Assamese folk tales. **** https://t.co/LdK4sFEdVz #IFFStuttgart

— Peter Jebsen (@pjebsen) July 24, 2016

Neerja (IND 2016): Bollywoodized terrorist bio-thriller with strong performance by @sonamakapoor. **** https://t.co/CX6jEP13Aw #IFFStuttgart

— Peter Jebsen (@pjebsen) July 24, 2016

CRD (IND 2016): A highly creative albeit slightly puzzling look at a student theater competition. ***½ https://t.co/Sj3oin41Do #IFFStuttgart

— Peter Jebsen (@pjebsen) July 22, 2016

Cecilia (IND 2015): Saddening and maddening docu about the suicide of a trafficked rural girl. ***½ https://t.co/xZenXFLZpb #IFFStuttgart

— Peter Jebsen (@pjebsen) July 24, 2016

Thithi (IND/USA 2015): Slightly lengthy Kannada social satire on death of century-old patriarch. ***½ https://t.co/HZY9HPzMzj #IFFStuttgart

— Peter Jebsen (@pjebsen) July 24, 2016

.@AligarhTheFilm (IND 2015): Based on the true story of the victimization of a gay professor. ***½ https://t.co/8FIelfEa0B #IFFStuttgart

— Peter Jebsen (@pjebsen) July 25, 2016

Ottaal/The Trap (IND 2015): Touching topic (orphan gets sold into child labour), weakly realized. *** https://t.co/gOMHEp0ffk #IFFStuttgart

— Peter Jebsen (@pjebsen) July 22, 2016

The Violin Player (IND 2015): Engaging story. But it may have been stronger as a short film. *** https://t.co/ZFUHrIvGbL #IFFStuttgart

— Peter Jebsen (@pjebsen) July 24, 2016

. @TE3NTheFilm (IND 2016): Slow-paced remake of a Korean thriller with the great @SrBachchan. *** https://t.co/K2RL8bF8mA #IFFStuttgart

— Peter Jebsen (@pjebsen) July 24, 2016

Cinemawala (IND 2015): A well-meant albeit lengthy tribute to vanishing single screen cinemas. *** https://t.co/zTo4mpQpvb #IFFStuttgart

— Peter Jebsen (@pjebsen) July 25, 2016

The awards

German Star of India for BEST SHORT:

LEECHES by Payal Sethi#Congratulations #IFFStuttgart pic.twitter.com/EUhEvvtB8K

— Filmbüro BaWü (@FilmbueroBW) July 24, 2016

Audience Award:
7 GÖTTINNEN [ANGRY INDIAN GODDESSES] by Pan Nalin#IFFStuttgart #Congratulations pic.twitter.com/ILd2GAeGyI

— Filmbüro BaWü (@FilmbueroBW) July 24, 2016

German Star of India for BEST DOCUMENTARY:
CECILIA by Pankaj Johar#IFFStuttgart #Congratulations pic.twitter.com/0ShHCZcAy7

— Filmbüro BaWü (@FilmbueroBW) July 24, 2016

Director's Vision Award:
DIE ZEIT DER FRAUEN [PARCHED] by Leena Yadav#IFFStuttgart #Congratulations pic.twitter.com/n25uPOx5xg

— Filmbüro BaWü (@FilmbueroBW) July 24, 2016

German Star of India for BEST FEATURE:
THITHI by Raam Reddy#IFFStuttgart #Congratulations pic.twitter.com/6OBt8xvMYg

— Filmbüro BaWü (@FilmbueroBW) July 24, 2016

It's a "German Star of India" Award for @leechesfilm ! https://t.co/TZV1LccABo #IFFStuttgart #AwardWinning #shortfilm #indie

— Payal Sethi (@phillumphile) July 25, 2016

Ein Kommentar (der Einfachheit halber auf Deutsch): Was mich dieses Mal wirklich nervte, war die knappe Terminierung der meisten Filme. Einen 108-Minuten-Streifen wie „Island City“ plus Q&A-Session mit jemand Spannendem wie Tannishta Chatterjee in einen Zwei-Stunden-Slot zu packen, ist Schwachsinn. Und (wenn man solch ein Festival zum 13. Mal veranstaltet) höchst unprofessionell. Es führte im genannten Beispiel dazu, dass der Beginn der nächsten Vorführung um eine halbe Stunde verschoben werden musste. (Was für diejenigen, die „Island City“ nicht gesehen hatten und nur für „Brahman Naman“ gekommen waren, extrem frustierend gewesen sein dürfte.)

Bei späteren Filmen führten solche Deppenplanungen dazu, dass manche Gäste wegen verspäteten Beginns vorzeitig das Kino verlassen mussten, um die letzte S-/U-Bahn nach Hause zu erwischen. Das kann man mit zahlenden Gästen nicht machen.

This and that

13. Indisches Filmfestival Stuttgart (20. – 24. 7.): "Zeit der starken Frauen in Indien ist gekommen" https://t.co/iWGifGrQk4 #IFFStuttgart

— Peter Jebsen (@pjebsen) July 19, 2016

13th Indian Film Festival in Stuttgart from July 20 to 24: The era of strong Indian women has arrived https://t.co/2ZQlQWmrud #IFFStuttgart

— Peter Jebsen (@pjebsen) July 19, 2016

#Stars und #Tanz auf dem Roten Teppich des #IFFStuttgart! Tolle Eröffnung! pic.twitter.com/gVJbeeSi3f

— Filmbüro BaWü (@FilmbueroBW) July 20, 2016

Der #IFFStuttgart-Mittwoch in Bildern:https://t.co/AyNXe8Fan6#Kino #BigPicture pic.twitter.com/iepIajmPmb

— Filmbüro BaWü (@FilmbueroBW) July 22, 2016

At Motel One Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof

Lunch break at Restaurant Wielandshöhe

Incredibly beautiful! #henna at the #IFFStuttgart #art #hennapainting pic.twitter.com/jofmWrdzqm

— Filmbüro BaWü (@FilmbueroBW) July 22, 2016

If you haven't enjoyed Angry Indian Goddesses yet, don't miss it at #IFFStuttgart!https://t.co/j1vn39lZUE // @AIGtheFilm @7Goettinnen

— Peter Jebsen (@pjebsen) July 23, 2016

Klasse Chongqing-Küche, für die sich der kleine Ausflug nach Sillenbuch lohnt. https://t.co/HO3Mg9k4Ju pic.twitter.com/fzX2ZQ2gvw

— Peter Jebsen (@pjebsen) July 24, 2016

Posted excactly at the same time as my Chongqing update 😉 :

अलविदा, #IFFStuttgart! Looking forward to #R2RFIFF now (a bella Firenze!). https://t.co/6SJ2DotfLf @river2riverfiff pic.twitter.com/twCOryot02

— Peter Jebsen (@pjebsen) July 24, 2016

Most important links, hashtags & people for Indian Film Festival Stuttgart: https://t.co/4V3iZf2l9I via @tame_it @FilmbueroBW #IFFStuttgart

— Peter Jebsen (@pjebsen) July 25, 2016

Reports about previous Indian film festivals
Deepa Mehta at 15th River to River. Florence Indian Film Festival (#R2RFIFF) / Looking back at Stuttgart’s #IFFSTR15 (2015)
Looking back at River to River. Florence Indian Film Festival 2014 … and some Florence tips (2014)
Movie Talk with Irrfan Khan @River to River. Florence Indian Film Festival (Videos) (2014)
Irrfan Khan at 14th River to River. Florence Indian Film Festival / Looking back at last year’s #R2RFIFF (2014)
13th River to River. Florence Indian Film Festival: From Ganges to Arno … and Tiber! #R2RFIFF (2013)
Shukriya, Amitabh Bachchan! (Celebrating 100 Years of Indian Cinema at River to River. Florence Indian Film Festival) (2012)
Bollywood and beyond: Looking Back at the 9th Indian Film Festival Stuttgart (2012)
From Ganges to Arno: 11th River to River. Florence Indian Film Festival (2011)
Aparna Sen and Rahul Bose at River to River. Florence Indian Film Festival (2010)
7th Film Festival „Bollywood and beyond“: The Tweets (incl. Trailers) (2010)
Einmal Bollywood und zurück, bitte! (2010)
Film Festival „Bollywood and beyond“: The Tweets (2009)
Bollywood (and beyond) im Erlebniszentrum (2009)
Qype: River to River. Florence Indian Film Festival in Florenz (2008)
Bollywood and beyond (2008)
Bollywood, here I come! (2008)

Peter Jebsen