Documentary film ‘W.OM.B’ is officially set to lead at the 12th edition of the Indian Film Festival Of Melbourne (IFFM). It has been chosen as the opening night film this year and will be screened on August 12.

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Following the incredible success of last year’s virtual film festival, IFFM this year will take place both physically and virtually with the physical festival running from 12th to 20th August while its digital edition will run from 15th to 30th August Australia-wide, said a statement.

In addition to that, while the film festival the previous year had gone completely virtual due to COVID-19 restraints, this time around it will be, in their own promising words, “double the fun” as it’ll not only a virtual but also a physical event.

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W.O.M.B will screen physically from the premiere night of the IFFM on the 12th of August. The documentary has been the toast of the international festival circuit including being the opening night film at the London Indian Film Festival last month. The film also recently was screened at the London Indian Film Festival (LIFF) where too it was part of its opening night gala.

The documentary feature film is an extraordinary real-life story tailored by director Ajitesh Sharma. It is a story of a young woman named Srishti Bakshi who embarks on a monumental journey, walking almost 4000km over 240 days, from Kanyakumari in the south to Kashmir, in the North, along the way meeting and learning first hand about the experiences of many women from all corners of India.

IFFM, being the largest film festival of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere that celebrates Indian cinema in all its forms, provides an excellent opportunity for filmmakers to showcase their films on an international platform.

Director Srishti Bakshi said: “Violence against women and girls is a human rights violation. and since the outbreak of Covid-19 and the world locking down to live within four walls, emerging data, and reports from those on the frontlines have shown that all types of violence against women and girls, particularly domestic violence, has only intensified. In this documentary, we have celebrated ordinary women who’ve shown extraordinary courage to rise above their limitations and challenge deeply entrenched gender norms.

“We did this to unite the majority because what we discovered was that ‘gender-based violence is a crime perpetrated by the minority but perpetuated by the silence of the majority.”

For producer Apoorva Bakshi, this documentary not only presents facts but also highlights possible solutions which can be implemented today.