Indian Filmmaker Shivendra Singh Dungarpur to Serve on Jury at Las Palmas International Film Festival
The 25th edition of the prestigious Las Palmas de Gran Canaria International Film Festival is set to commence on April 23, marking a significant milestone with Indian filmmaker, producer, and archivist Shivendra Singh Dungarpur appointed to the festival jury. This appointment powerfully underscores India's rapidly expanding presence and influence in the global arena of film preservation and restoration.
Celebrating a Legacy of Preservation
Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, who also serves as the director of the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, is a pivotal figure in safeguarding India's cinematic heritage. He founded the Film Heritage Foundation in 2014, an organization dedicated to protecting and restoring India's vast film legacy. His international recognition was further cemented in June 2025 when he received the esteemed Vittorio Boarini Award from the Fondazione Cineteca di Bologna, honoring his outstanding contributions to cinema preservation.
Dungarpur also holds a position on the artistic committee of the renowned Il Cinema Ritrovato Festival. He will be joined on the Las Palmas jury by distinguished international figures: Barbara Gasser, Vice President of the Austrian Film Critics Guild (AFCG/FIPRESCI), and Jean-Michel Frodon, a respected journalist and film critic formerly of Le Monde and editorial director of Cahiers du Cinéma.
Spotlight on Restored Indian Classics
In a major showcase for Indian cinema, the festival's Déjà Vu section will present six meticulously restored Indian films, all brought back to life through the efforts of Dungarpur and the Film Heritage Foundation. This curated selection includes cinematic landmarks such as:
- Do Bigha Zamin
- Manthan
- Aranyer Din Ratri
- Sholay
- The Girls
- Circus Tent
The inclusion of these restored works represents a landmark moment, bringing India's rich cinematic history to an international audience and reflecting the country's growing, vital role in worldwide film restoration initiatives.
Gloria Benito, a programmer for the festival, elaborated on the section's theme: "Déjà Vu, our long-standing parallel cinephile section, is filled with nocturnal dramas, secrets, lies and delusions worth revisiting or discovering. Preserving our cinematographic legacy also means safeguarding our historical memory - understanding how past events have shaped lives and continue to define who we are."
A Grand Opening with a Silent Classic
The festival will open with a special screening of Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau's Faust, a landmark of German Expressionist cinema, nearly a century after its original premiere. This iconic silent film will be presented with a live musical accompaniment by the Tenerife-based progressive rock band GAF y La Estrella de la Muerte. This event will also serve to inaugurate the festival's Camera Obscura section, promising a unique and immersive cinematic experience.
The participation of Shivendra Singh Dungarpur and the prominent display of restored Indian films at the Las Palmas International Film Festival signal a new chapter in international cultural exchange, firmly positioning India as a key guardian of global film heritage.
