The MELOtea festival in Darjeeling, which is set to start on Thursday, is making global waves this year.

The four-day fest, organised by Darjeeling Police with support from the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, has attracted filmmakers from as far as Russia.

As part of the fest, a short film festival will be held on Friday and Saturday at Gorkha Rangamanch Bhavan.

“We have received entries from Russia, too,” said Praween Prakash, the Darjeeling SP.

Sources said that Russian filmmakers Asker Unaev and Alexandra Ozeretskaya have submitted their films, The Last Shift and Deputy, respectively, for the Darjeeling fest.

“Foreign films are accompanied by subtitles to be enjoyed by all,” said a source.

Organisers said that a total of 57 films were submitted for the festival, of which 17 films were chosen to be screened on December 20 and 21.

The Russian film The Last Shift, a film from Bhutan named Without Light, directed by Pema Yangsel Norbu, and another from Nepal, Nridesh, directed by Ashok Pathak, are the three international films that have made it to the final 17.

The other shortlisted films are Indian ones made by directors from Mumbai, Calcutta, the Northeastern states, Darjeeling and its surrounding areas.

“The jury had a difficult time in shortlisting the films,” said a source, adding that some films would be awarded.

The jury included Ugyal T. Lama, assistant professor of mass communications at the North Bengal University,
and Vikram Rai, Smriti Rai and Komal Gurung, who are assistant professors at
the mass communications department at St Joseph’s College, Mikma Lepcha, a filmmaker from Kurseong, and Vivek Rai, a filmmaker who won the Silver Egg Award at the Kustendorf Film Festival in Serbia recently.

“Death Certificate, a film by Vivek Rai will also be screened on the first day,” said the source. “A film, Yathawat, by award-winning filmmaker Tribeny Rai of Gangtok will also be shown during the fest.”

Panel discussions by filmmakers are also part of the film festival.

MELOtea will be inaugurated on Thursday with Kee Marcello, guitarist-vocalist and a former member of the Swedish band Europe, whose anthemic song, The Final Countdown, took the world by storm.

Marcello will perform along with the famed Nepali rock band, Mantra, on Day One.

Bands from Nepal and Bhutan are also part of the festival.

A marathon, which is also a part of the fest, has attracted international runners too.