Sixth Wench Film Festival to light up Kolkata and Mumbai

The Wench Film Festival , India’s pioneering platform for horror, sci-fi, and fantasy cinema, is returning for its sixth edition , featuring 54 films, including 33 directed by women, organisers announced. The festival, which highlights innovative and female-led genre storytelling, will run in two legs, from February 19 to 22 at the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI), Kolkata , and from February 26 to March 1 at the National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC), Mumbai , marking its first collaboration with these prestigious institutions.

The 2026 edition will open with the India premiere of Ritesh Gupta’s “The Red Mask” , followed by a post-screening Q&A, and close with “Mother of Flies” , a Fantasia winner. Films will be presented across three categories: Blood Thirsty (over 60 minutes), Dwarves (10-40 minutes), and Elves (under 10 minutes).

Festival founder Sapna Moti Bhavnani’s short film “Landfills of Desire” , which had its world premiere at Fantastic Fest 2025, will have its Asian premiere at Wench. Described as a quiet, surreal horror short, it was shot on Dal Lake in Kashmir and features the Kashmiri folkloric figure Rantas as its central character.

This year’s conceptual theme revolves around the hospital, inspired by a Wench team member’s extended hospitalisation after a serious injury. “The theme explores the body reaching its limits and interruptions that cannot be ignored. It is dedicated to women who tirelessly balance work, care, and creative labour, often without pause,” organisers said.

The festival is significant not only for its focus on female directors and independent storytelling, but also for its role in strengthening India’s genre cinema ecosystem. Collaborations with Fantasia, Bloodstream, and French cultural institutions such as the Embassy of France in India, Institut Français, and Alliance Française allow for curated distribution, cultural exchange, and access to contemporary international cinema.

“Wench was built slowly, without a safety net,” Bhavnani said. “Having institutions like NFDC and SRFTI support the festival, alongside our French partners, is recognition of years spent building a platform that didn’t have a template.”

With its mix of innovative storytelling, global partnerships, and emphasis on women filmmakers, the Wench Film Festival continues to stand out as a unique celebration of genre cinema in India, offering audiences a space to experience bold, boundary-pushing films.