I arrived at the 6th Auroville Film Festival as the sun was sinking behind the trees, and everything was already in full swing. The band stand reminded me a little of Ok Jeong’s recent Upcycling show in Citadines’ Centre des Arts, in it’s recycled aquatic artistry. The turquoise backdrop on the stage glowed like an octopuses garden as the night drew in, and the first musicians on, Jurriann on keys and Hunter on drums, furthered the feeling, creating liquid jams of swirling music, delighting the audience. The food on offer was also a delight to behold. The Food Festival will be offering cuisine from across the world, with a different theme each night. Starting with the home food of South India, the journey has only just begun. Café Le Morgan is open at the Town Hall too, and decked with rainbows, lights and a flying moose! There are smaller snack bars here and there too.
This is my second AVFF, and I have to say that the organizers have done a grand job in topping the last one. The layout of the whole festival – films, music, food and art installations – seems much more orderly, and in a good way. The covered seating for both dining and watching the bands is great. One word of advice to festivalgoers, though: if you want to see a film, get there early! Seating is limited, particularly in Cinema Paradiso.
