Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], September 26: The 5th Edition of the YathaKatha Film & Literature Festival will be held from September 28 to October 1, 2026, bringing together leading voices from cinema, literature and the arts for four days of storytelling and cultural conversations.
The festival will be hosted in collaboration with SVKM’s Usha Pravin Gandhi College of Arts, Science & Commerce, Vile Parle (West), Mumbai, and will feature film screenings, panels, literary sessions, workshops, masterclasses, a book launch, awards and cultural performances.
The festival will feature a special cross-cultural conversation, “A Shared Language: In Conversation with Brazilian Filmmaker Clara Clarice,” exploring cross-cultural storytelling and the ability of cinema to create connections across languages, cultures and borders.
The literary programme will also feature the launch of The Last Bargain by Nikhlesh Mathur, an author, chemical engineer, corporate Vice President and astrologer, whose diverse professional and creative experiences inform his approach to storytelling.
The festival’s highlighted programme will feature a diverse line-up, including a Vertical Drama Workshop, Poetry Workshop, Masterclass on AI Filmmaking, and a special masterclass, “Learning to See Otherwise: How Russian Literature Can Train the Thinking Filmmaker,” offering a unique perspective on literature, observation and visual storytelling.
The festival will also feature an exclusive conversation with filmmaker Rahul Rawail, “Launching Stars Down The Ages and “Beyond The Words: a conversation with Sanjay Masoom on how dialogue and lyrics shape characters, stories & cinema. The programme will also include prominent sessions such as “When Actors Tell Stories,” “Loss of Words: The Fading Beauty of Lyrical Storytelling,” “The Art of Acting,” “Writers’ Rooms for OTT Web Series: Hitchhiker’s Guide,” and “Literature & Films: A Creative Bond,” along with a special panel on Marathi cinema and literature in association with the Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Chitrapat Mahamandal.
Indian-American author, traveller, polyglot and literary curator Kiran Bhat has curated a distinctive literary programme for YathaKatha Edition 5, featuring “Pride, Identity & Belonging: A Conversation with India’s Leading LGBTQIA+ Activists,” “The New Feminist,” “The Bombay Poetry Crawl,” and “Myth Is Not Mithya,” along with a dedicated Poetry Workshop – Shifting Frames: Poetry for Change.
Reflecting its collaborative spirit, YathaKatha Film & Literature Festival – Edition 5, in collaboration with Usha Pravin Gandhi College of Arts, Science & Commerce, is powered by Krokio Products Pvt. Ltd. and supported by Union Bank of India, Mumbai; NTPC Auraiya, Uttar Pradesh; RV University, Bengaluru; Lakshya Trust, Gujarat; Arena Animation, Andheri & Borivali, Mumbai; Poetry Circle 2.0; Paperwall Publishing; Global Hindi Foundation, Singapore; ASIFA India, and several other partners.
Founded by filmmaker and cultural curator Charu Sharma, YathaKatha Film & Literature Festival aims to create a common platform where cinema and literature meet, and where established and emerging voices can engage in meaningful dialogue.
Commenting ahead of the fifth edition, Charu Sharma said: “YathaKatha is not just a festival of films and books; it is a celebration of stories, voices and people. We have always believed in the power of stories to connect us and reflect the times we live in. In a city often defined by formality, YathaKatha is our informal celebration of storytelling — by the people and for the people. This fifth edition is an invitation to everyone: come, listen, discover, share and be part of these conversations. The festival is free and open to all because we believe stories should never be limited by a ticket. Come support us and celebrate the power of stories with us.”
The festival will culminate with its closing ceremony and awards, celebrating the filmmakers, authors, writers and storytellers participating in the fifth edition.
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PNN
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