New Delhi: A short film festival marking the 10th anniversary of The Wire brought together filmmakers, journalists and audiences on March 6 evening for a screening of independent short films. The festival, ‘Changing Directions’, was the concluding event of a year-long celebration of The Wire’s decade in journalism.Hosted at the Delhi centre of the Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan, the event screened nine short films selected from nearly 200 submissions. The Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan was the venue partner for the event, which was sponsored by the Information and Public Relations Department, Government of Kerala.Opening the event, Marla Stukenberg, director of Max Mueller Bhavan New Delhi, said, “When the team approached us about hosting one of the events to celebrate the tenth anniversary, we were more than ready and happy to do it – and today it’s happening.”Speaking at the event, Jahnavi Sen of The Wire said the organisers chose short films because of their ability to reflect varied realities. “We thought short film was a good way to go because India is a country with many diverse realities. Short films were a way to get little glimpses of many of those different realities,” she said.The nine films were selected by a jury including documentary filmmaker and activist Faiza Ahmad Khan, best known for the 2012 Supermen of Malegaon, and Vani Subramanian, whose best-known works include Ayodhya Gatha (2006) on the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition, and award-winning filmmaker and director of All We Imagine as Light (2024) Payal Kapadia, who chaired the jury.In remarks shared with the audience, Kapadia congratulated the filmmakers and praised the “range of work as well as the political passion” reflected in each film.Here is a video message from Kapadia, who was not able to attend the event in person, and a closing update about the event and its significance by the other jury members and The Wire:The films ranged from satire and folklore-inspired storytelling to intimate reflections on everyday life and contemporary social realities. They were in a range of languages, including Hindi, Rajasthani, Malayalam, English, Gujarati, and representing a cross-section of India in themes as well.Khan pointed to the lack of institutional support for independent filmmaking in India, noting that none of the selected films had received funding from public film bodies. “I was surprised – and also not so surprised – to see that there was not a single film that was funded by a public film institution in India,” she said, adding that many were self-funded or supported by private foundations and independent producers.Subramanian said the selected films reflected the concerns of contemporary society. “Each of them is addressing something very critical in our times,” she said.The films screened at the festival were Noises from the Basement, directed by Abhay P.; Daddu Zindabad, directed by Samar Jain; The Waiting Game, directed by Kanika Gupta; Ek Achha Sawaal, directed by Sara Saini; WE, the Puffcorns of India, directed by Aditya Mungde; KYC, directed by Aravindan S.S.; Avaar Navaar Chhoriyaan, directed by Shefalee Jain and Shivi Bhatnagar; Tara, directed by Ashutosh S. Shankar; and Kal Raat Kolaba Mein, directed by Suryansh Deo Srivastava.