What does it look like when 150 films, an 18th-century palace, and a velvet-soft Jaipur evening come together? Enter Artists’ Cinema / Artist’s Cinema: a six-week film and art programme by Jaipur Centre for Art that turns the City Palace into an open-air invitation. Come in, cool down, and stay for the story.
Running from June 20 to July 31, this isn’t just a screening schedule. It’s a sensory mix of nostalgia, memory, identity, and joy. Curated by Dr. Shwetal Ashvin Patel, who describes the series as “a space of refuge and resistance in an era marked by acceleration, exploitation, and erasure.”
So, no popcorn flicks here. Just 16mm intimacy, tulle-soft lighting, and cinema that lingers.
The Line-Up
From Soumya Sankar Bose’s haunting Marichjhapi to Achal Mishra’s quietly powerful Gamak Ghar and Suruchi Sharma’s Ek Taar, the programme spotlights South Asian voices that meditate rather than shout.
There’s also plenty of movement across borders: Godard’s La Chinoise, Fatih Akin’s Soul Kitchen, Lisandro Alonso’s Eureka, and dreamy European auteur classics thanks to partners like Goethe-Institut and the French Institute.
Afternoons are for experimental shorts by artists like Pallavi Paul, Sunil Gupta, Amol Patil, and Rajaram Naik. Evenings stretch into international feature-length terrain. Slow cinema, auteur drama, and the kind of films that make you text someone halfway through.
More Than a Movie
There’s also a photographic exhibition: Bombay Talkies, presented by Art Heritage, features rare behind-the-scenes stills from the Josef Wirsching Collection, offering an unexpected dialogue between old-world glamour and new-wave storytelling.
And yes, the seats are the moment. Designed in collaboration with The House of Things, The Modern Baithak is a handcrafted installation that invites you to lounge, recline, and reimagine the cinema ritual—one linen cushion at a time.
Why Now?
“Jaipur has long been a city where tradition and creativity coexist in harmony,” shares HH Maharaja Sawai Padmanabh Singh. “With this summer film programme… we open our doors to diverse cinematic voices from around the world. “It’s a celebration and an invitation,” adds Noelle Kadar, Co-Founder of JCA. “To relax, gather, and engage with film as a medium of reflection, community, and joy.”
And let’s not forget the city itself. Jaipur in the summer is slower, softer, and made for golden hour screenings and unhurried conversation. With support from PVR INOX, Film Critics Guild, M.S.M.S. II Museum, and more, Artists’ Cinema brings the global film conversation to one of India’s most visually rich, emotionally resonant cities. “Art and cinema are deeply interconnected,” says Niharika Bijli of PVR INOX. “We’re thrilled to spotlight these incredible artists—and this majestic city.”
Come for the cinema. Stay for the energy.
Venue: Jaipur Centre for Art, City Palace, Jaipur
Dates: June 20 – July 31, 2025
Tickets: Here