The IMF Mountain Film Festival facilitates screening of award winning and popular short films covering adventure disciplines including kayaking, mountain biking, mountaineering, bouldering, caving and rock climbing. The films have been shot across India at various popular adventure destinations like Kumaon, Garhwal, Himavchal, Gulmarg, Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya and Kerala.

In Search of Kasturi- Musk deer (23 min; 2024)
Director: Neha Dixit

Recipient of the Award for Best Environment Film

Two films directed by Akshat Jain

Life Uphill- The Tenzin Dolma Story (8 min)
Recipient of the Special Jury Award

Gaddi- Life of a Himalayan Shepard (6 min)
Recipient of the Award for Best Film on Mountain Culture

Fastest Known Time- Deo Tibba (24 min; 2022)
Producer: Red Bull
Recipient of the Grand Prize

Feral in the Mountains (3 min; 2023)
Director: Eshika Fyzee
Recipient of the Award for Popular Film

Ganga Girls (18 min; 2024)
Producer: Simplify
Recipient of the Change Maker Film Award

(Collaboration: Indian Mountaineering Foundation)
 

Little Lhasa: Reflections in Exiled Tibet

By Tsering Namgyal Khortsa (Speaking Tiger: 2024)

Discussants: Prof. Kaveri Gill, Non-Resident Senior Fellow, Centre of Excellence for Himalayan Studies, Shiv Nadar University Institute of Eminence; Ms Manjula Narayan, National Books Editor, The Hindustan Times; and Shri Tsering Namgyal Khortsa, novelist and journalist and author of the book

Moderator: Prof. Swati Chawla

Excavations at Sarnath: 2013-14: New Evidences
 

Illustrated Lecture by Prof. (Dr.) B.R. Mani, esteemed field archaeologist, numismatist, and art critic; presently Director General of the National Museum and Vice Chancellor of the Indian Institute of Heritage (IIH)

The lecture highlights the latest archaeological findings from one of India’s most significant historical sites.

(Collaboration: Tibet House)
 

Blood on the Crown (Malta)
(102 min;2021; English/Maltese)
Director: David Ferrario

Recipient of the Award for Best Director, Malta Film Award

Screening will be preceded by a brief discussion with H.E. Mr. Reuben Gauci, High Commissioner of Malta; Shri V.S. Sahney, Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha); and Lady Kishwar Desai, Founder and Chairperson, The Partition Museum Delhi and Amritsar on the two parallel events in the histories of Malta and India, the June 7 Uprising in Malta; and the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre

Set in the turbulent aftermath of World War I in 1919, the film explores the Maltese people’s uprising for independence from British rule. As tensions boil over, the citizens of Malta rose against their colonial oppressors which was crushed by the British army leading to violent and bloody clashes. The film examines the courage, sacrifice, and resilience of those who dared to challenge power, setting the stage for Malta’s eventual path to independence.
 

Programme Details

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are driving a paradigm shift across industries, reshaping the very fabric of modern life. With the advent of cutting-edge AI models like DeepSeek, the capabilities of intelligent systems are expanding exponentially, impacting sectors ranging from education and finance to healthcare and beyond. AI-driven innovations—such as personalized recommendations on platforms like Netflix, real-time customer engagement through chatbots, and intelligent voice assistants like Alexa, Google Assistant, and Siri—have seamlessly integrated into our daily routines. These deeply profound advances, which still need a lot of work to do on reliability, will change our lives quite a bit.

However, as AI continues to evolve, it presents both unprecedented opportunities and significant challenges. While AI-driven automation, predictive analytics, and personalized experiences are revolutionizing industries, concerns about ethical considerations, bias in AI models, data privacy, and the future of employment persist. As we move beyond DeepSeek and similar models, it becomes imperative to examine the broader implications, limitations, and future trajectories of AI in shaping human society.

Welcome Remarks: Shri K.N. Shrivastava, Director, IIC

Introduction to the AI-ML National Conclave: Prof. Seyed E. Hasnain, National Science Chair, IIT Delhi

Navigating the New World of AI/ML: A user’s perspective: Presentation by Prof. Debasisa Mohanty, Director, National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi

Societal Impact of AI: Presentation by Prof. Shandar Ahmad, former Dean, School of Computational & Integrative Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University

Computational Gastronomy: Blending Food with AI-ML: Presentation by Dr. Ganesh Bagler, Infosys Centre for Artificial Intelligence, IIIT, Delhi

Trust in AI Systems: Presentation by Prof. Naveen Kumar, Head of Dept. Computer Science, University of Delhi

Presented by Karina Khovalyg (soprano); and  Mikhail Loginov (baritone)

Accompanied by Stanislav Chermukhin on the piano

All three artists are distinguished soloists from the Moscow State Conservatory and laureates of international competitions

(Collaboration: Embassy of Russia)

In Conversation – From Soldier to Storyteller

General Manoj Naravane, former Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army in conversation with Neelanjana Banerjee and Suhas Borker