What Makes Habitat Film Festival Unique Compared to Cannes 2025?

Mumbai, May 26 (NationPress) Acclaimed actress Sharmila Tagore shared her insights about the Habitat Film Festival, emphasizing its distinctive qualities when compared to renowned international events such as Cannes 2025.

During a recent interview, Tagore, who has been a steadfast participant at the Habitat Film Festival, discussed the aspects that make this festival special and why it remains beloved by film enthusiasts across India. Sharmila pointed out that the Habitat Film Festival is built on passion, commitment, and a focus on quality. When discussing the contrasts with Cannes, she acknowledged the extensive scale and global appeal of the French festival. Tagore expressed to IANS, “I've been attending this festival for many years, and they consistently select captivating films from across India. It’s a wonderful chance to view these films, and they uphold high standards. I always look forward to this festival.”

The actress from 'Gulmohar' remarked, “I believe comparisons are unnecessary. Habitat thrives on love, with significant effort dedicated to maintaining quality. They facilitate discussions and diverse activities, consistently upholding a high standard. Over time, it has gained increasing popularity. Cannes is an entirely different entity—it’s much larger, associated with various awards, and has a global scope. Since the era of filmmakers like Bajor Bahadur, attendees have flocked to Cannes. It’s a distinct kind of event. Additionally, numerous brands promote themselves there, not solely films. Moreover, there’s a film bazaar where individuals come to trade films. It’s a vast, prestigious, and flourishing film festival that also functions as a marketplace where filmmakers can display their creations and seek buyers. This market dimension is a crucial element of film festivals.”

Sharmila Tagore elaborated, “In contrast, Habitat is a more personal festival. Some may perceive Cannes as entirely commercial, but that’s not the case. Beautiful films are presented there. During my time on the jury, we viewed films like The White Ribbon, which was outstanding and won the best film award. It’s not limited to intellectual films; there’s a plethora of excellent films from various languages.”

“Cannes has a long history and substantial funding, attracting numerous big stars, thereby drawing a significantly larger audience. Festivals require time to evolve, and Cannes has benefited from that funding and time. We don’t need to compete with Cannes, but Habitat is also thriving—making remarkable progress,” Tagore elaborated.

The 17th Habitat Film Festival celebrated iconic personalities from the film realm, including Shyam Benegal, Raj Kapoor, Manoj Kumar, Mohammed Rafi, Talat Mahmood, and Aruna Vasudev. Additionally, the festival showcased ‘Puratawn,’ marking Sharmila Tagore’s return to Bengali cinema.