A celebration of films beyond the confines of language and genre, the Red Lorry Film Festival returned for its third edition showcasing over 120 films from 30 countries.
Spanning Hollywood premieres, Oscar-nominated films, cult classics and hidden gems of world cinema as well as global festival favourites, cinephiles in Mumbai were drawn into a vivid universe of stories from around the world between March 13-15, 2026.
With screenings across five theatres across Andheri and Bandra- Jio World Plaza PVR Maison; Citi Mall ; PVR ICON ; Cinépolis ; PVR Juhu – the festivals not only showcased a range of international films but also included Q&A sessions, masterclasses and panels with global industry experts.
Hiranshi Mistry, who attended several showings at the festival, said : “I haven’t been to previous editions of the festival. This was my first time. I have been wanting to dive deep into cinema and this impulsive decision to attend was meant to be because for three days, as hectic as it was, I lived at the cinema—i live in stories—and I think that was so wonderful,” adding, “A lot of these movies are available on OTT or will be soon but it’s a different experience to watch them on the big screen.”
Hiranshi who caught films like Hindi crime film Bayaan, Arabic tragicomedy Once Upon A Time In Gaza, English horror films The Arborist and Son of Sara Vol. 1 alongside several Korean thrillers/horror productions spanning more recent films like The Ugly and No Other Choice as well as classics like A Tale Of Two Sisters and Oldboy, was particularly impressed by the Korean screenings.
She says, “Korean cinema absolutely won my heart. Everything was so well done, even with its flaws,” with her personal favourite watch of the whole festival being No Other Choice, she adds, ” I met someone who said if you caught a show of No Other Choice then it was all worth it. I mean, I stood in line for 2 hours just to get a seat! It was pure luck. It was also an IMAX screening so everything was heightened—the colours, the sound, the montages—absolutely perfection of a film. This is why cinema exists. Magic. Mind-blowing. And more importantly, so, so entertaining.”
Other notable screenings included Hamnet, Sentimental Value, 13 Days 13 Nights, In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones, and Lagaan: Once Upon A Time In India.
Hiranshi reflects on the highlights of the festival experience saying, “I bought a season pass for the 3 days which was around ₹1350. For the amount of shows and the type of shows that I watched, I feel like it was worth it. They also provided free bottled water which is not common for festivals as far as I’ve noticed. It was also fun because there were people who we met who were genuinely interested and I went with my partner so there were so many cinema-based discussions after every movie.”
But she also expresses the hope for even more venues spread throughout more of Mumbai as well as more conversations, panels and masterclasses for even more enriching experiences in future editions.
Rooted in genuine appreciation for cinema and the community that thrives in their passion for creating and consuming these stories, the festival delivered cinematic representations of real life yet offering a creative cocoon of escapism.
Alluring those in love with the art of storytelling, the Red Lorry Film Festival 2026 drew to a close as a memorable experience that left many visitors like Hiranshi with a craving for more and deeper appreciation of the world of films.
(Images courtesy of Hiranshi Mistry)
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