The Festival returns to India
The Festival du Film Merveilleux & Imaginaire returns to Pondicherry, India, for a special screening at the Alliance Française de Pondichéry on 17 September 2026 at 7:00 PM.
The evening will present seven French short films from the Festival’s 2026 selection, bringing together live action, animation, puppetry, animated ink and other distinctive forms of filmmaking.
From imagination and childhood to memory, artistic creation, friendship and urban life, the programme reflects the diversity of contemporary French short cinema.
The screening also continues the Festival’s international programme, bringing films and audiences together beyond Paris through cultural partners around the world.
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A special connection with India
Among the films presented in Pondicherry, Sulaimani, directed by Vinnie Anne Bose, has a particular resonance with the Indian screening.
Entirely handcrafted through stop-motion puppetry and animated ink, the film presents two intertwined portraits of Indian women from Kerala, exploring memory, transmission and identity through a singular visual language.
Programme
Sulaimani
Vinnie Anne Bose · France · 19′49
A fully handcrafted film combining stop-motion puppetry and animated ink, presenting two intertwined portraits of Indian women from Kerala.
Grown Up Day — Le Jour des adultes
David Caspir · France · 22′08
Discovering that Santa Claus does not exist: could this be the hardest blow to our childhood dreams? Stéphane, the owner of an architecture firm who has never entirely lost his childlike sense of wonder, goes through a midlife crisis when he discovers the truth.
Les Bottes de la nuit
Pierre-Luc Granjon · France · 12′22
A coming-of-age story about friendship and otherness, created using pinscreen animation.
A Brushstroke — Un coup de pinceau
Stéphane Martinet · France · 19′33
Pierre, an internationally renowned painter who has struggled to find inspiration since his wife’s death, paints a nude that becomes an enigmatic masterpiece.
Bourreau des Cœurs
Inès Moussard, Antoine Genza, Ilian Belkilani, Sam Ripart, Alexandre Julhe & Camille Duvere · France · 6′00
Grégoire works for Paris City Hall, removing the love locks that threaten the Pont des Arts. Sophie, a convinced romantic, wants to preserve these symbols of eternal love. Their encounter offers another perspective on love and the city.
Lifelines
Bruno Richaud · France · 12′57
In a wintry cemetery, Éléonore, devastated by the loss of her husband, is addressed by a lively and unexpected voice.
The Dracula Secret – Piwooz Music-Hall
Giovanni Gasparetto · France · 2′30
Piwooz, the little companion of emotions, reveals the hidden side of the deepest feelings of fantastical beings.
Practical Information
Date: Thursday, 17 September 2026
Time: 7:00 PM
Venue: Alliance Française de Pondichéry
Address: 58, Suffren St, White Town, Puducherry, 605001, Inde
Programme: 7 short films
Total runtime: approximately 1 h 35 min
Cinema Across Cultures
The Festival du Film Merveilleux & Imaginaire is a Paris-based international short film festival dedicated to wonder, imagination and the diversity of artistic worlds.
Through its screenings in France and abroad, the Festival encourages films to circulate between cultures and creates spaces for discovery, emotion and dialogue.