There's a lot of independent Indian cinema that travels to international film festivals, picks up recognition and finds audiences across the world, while remaining relatively difficult to catch back home. The inaugural GridLine Film Festival is looking to bring some of these films closer to audiences in Kolkata, with a two-day programme of feature films, short films and documentaries from India and beyond. Founded by Anisa Mukerjea Ganguli and Anisha SenGupta Yanger, the festival has been conceived as a space for independent cinema, cross-cultural exchange and conversations around the stories and people shaping filmmaking today.

The film selection brings together a mix of Indian and international festival favourites. Among the titles are Ishaan Ghose's Morichika, an Official Selection at the International Film Festival Rotterdam, and Sanju Surendran's If on a Winter's Night, which had its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival. There's also Batt Koch by Siddarth Koul and Ankit Wali, selected for NYIFF 2026, Shayar Gandhi's Paswaar, which featured at the Tasveer Film Festival, and Azeem Rajulawalla's More Punk Than Punk, which screened at the Dharamshala Film Festival. The programme also includes Devashish Makhija's Cheepatakadumpa, Renuka Shahane's Loop Line, which won Best Animation at the Bengaluru International Short Film Festival, and Mallika Juneja's Little Fishies, which had its international premiere at the Austin Film Festival. Other selections include Vivek Chaudhary's I, Poppy, winner of Best Documentary at the Critics' Choice Awards India 2026, An Orphanage of Memories by Rayit Hashmat Qazi, Where the Road Leads by Nina Ognjanovic, award-winning feature Kayantar by National Award-winning filmmakers Rajdeep Paul and Sarmistha Maiti, and Kivaad by Anisa Mukerjea Ganguli.

Alongside the screenings, GridLine is putting together a programme of panel discussions, industry talks, director Q&As and post-screening conversations. Two panel discussions will anchor the programme. The first, titled 'The Independent Voice: Who Decides What a Film Becomes?', will be moderated by former NFDC executive producer Vikramjit Roy, with filmmakers Devashish Makhija and Sarmistha Maiti, alongside Samik Roy Chowdhury, discussing the creative decisions and collaborations that shape independent films from conception to completion. The second, 'Dissolving Borders: From Script to Screen', moderated by author and poet Karuna Ezara Parikh, brings together Goutam Ghose, Vivek Chowdhury and Devashish Makhija to discuss how stories evolve from their initial ideas into films. The wider programme will also feature conversations with actor and filmmaker Renuka Shahane, among other industry voices.

Co-founder Anisa Mukerjea Ganguli has over 15 years of experience as a creative producer, writer and director. She worked with Turner International, Channel [V] India and Goutam Ghose, while her short film Kivaad (The Door) was selected for Cannes Court Métrage and the BFI London Film Festival in 2017. Anisha SenGupta Yanger brings over 20 years of experience in brand communications across film, entertainment and the arts. She previously headed PR and communications at the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival and Drishyam Films, and founded Isamu Communications in 2022, a consultancy working with independent films and creative talent. The inaugural GridLine Film Festival will take place on November 20 and 21, 2026, at Sujata Sadan, Hazra Road, Kolkata.

Follow the festival here.

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