Pinaka Mediaworks

Ojaswwee Sharma Address RIFF 2026

Ojaswwee Sharma Highlights the Role of Film Festivals in Integrating and Preserving India’s Regional, Cultural and Linguistic Diversity at the 12th Rajasthan International Film Festival (RIFF) 2026

INFORMATION RELEASE

Issued by Pinaka Mediaworks
Chandigarh, Rajasthan
India

6th February, 2026 | Friday
Language: English

National Award–winning film director Ojaswwee Sharma from Chandigarh emphasized the growing importance of film festivals as cultural connectors during an interactive session at the closing day of the 12th Rajasthan International Film Festival (RIFF) 2026, held in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, on 4th February 2026.

Addressing festival delegates, filmmakers, and cinema enthusiasts, journalists Ojaswwee Sharma spoke about how film festivals held across various states of India play a vital role in integrating the country’s diverse cultures, stories, languages, and untold perspectives.

“Film festivals held across various states of India are a way of integrating the culture, languages, and untold perspectives that come from each state and corner of the country,” Ojaswwee said during the session.
He highlighted that such platforms offer space not only to main cinema but also to regional films, non-feature films, and stories from lesser-represented geographies. According to him, festivals like RIFF provide visibility to creative voices that may otherwise struggle to find an audience due to limited reach of cinema at the regional level.

Ojaswwee cited that while cinema as an industry has not fully penetrated every regional and linguistic space, film festivals serve as meeting points where filmmakers and audiences connect beyond commercial boundaries. These platforms, he said, allow variations in storytelling, language, and form to coexist and be celebrated.

He further stressed the need for continuity and support for such festivals, describing them as essential for nurturing cultural exchange and sustaining meaningful cinema in India.
“Until cinema reaches every region equally, these festivals remain crucial. They connect people, ideas, and stories, and must continue to grow,” he added.

Ojaswwee Sharma’s interaction at RIFF 2026 reinforced the festival’s role as a space for dialogue, discovery, and cultural exchange, underscoring cinema’s potential to bridge regions and communities across the country.

Integrating Regional Power Through Film Festivals. A picture that defines the diversity and collective integrity of the Indian cinema and television powerhouse.
Featured National Award-winning film director Ojaswwee Sharma with RIFF founders and Festival Directors Shri Somendra Harsh and Smt Anshu Harsh; alongside Shri Rajit Kapur (Actor), Shri Shailesh Lodha (Actor & Poet), Shri Mukesh Chhabra (Casting Director), Shri Anup Soni (Actor), Shri Markand Deshpande (Actor), and Shri Parveen Singhal (COO, STAGE OTT).

Citations:


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