Mumbai, 19 June 2026

Mumbai witnessed an emotional and visually enchanting cinematic experience as three films ‘Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe!’, ‘Hyena’ and ‘I Love You, I Leave You’ were showcased at the 19th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) 2026. The films – screened as part of the festival’s special Mid Fest programme - were one of MIFF’s most anticipated segments featuring an exceptional line-up of short fiction, animation and documentary films from across the globe.

The film ‘Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe!’ follows Yios, a lonely mythical boy whose head shines like the sun. Struggling to fit in among the children in the clouds, Yios finds himself isolated and misunderstood. An unfortunate prank sends him tumbling down to Earth, where he encounters a young boy who instantly reaches out in friendship. What begins as an unexpected meeting soon transforms Yios’ perception of himself and belonging. With its tender storytelling and imaginative visuals, ‘Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe!’ explores the emotional challenges faced by children who find it difficult to connect with their peers or who often feel excluded from social groups. At the same time, it beautifully captures the transformative power of acceptance, empathy and inclusion, making it a poignant watch for audiences of all ages. Director of the film, Andrea Szelesová has established herself as a distinctive voice in contemporary animation through works such as Malady, Mon Ami, Anidoc 19 20 18 and Afternoon Tea. Her award-winning graduation film Sisters premiered at the Annecy International Animation Film Festival in 2021 and went on to screen at more than 60 international film festivals worldwide. The screening marked the international premiere of the film and was attended by Ms. Andrea Arce, the film’s layout and background artist who expressed her delight at being part of one of Asia’s most prestigious film festivals.

‘Hyena’, a Mandarin language short fiction thriller, directed by Altay Ulan Yang was the second film to feature in the Mid Fest segment. It made its Indian premiere at the 19th Mumbai International Film Festival. Born from the director's real experiences at sixteen, this film explores violence not just as bullying, but as an aesthetic exploration of primal human emotions. In this short fiction a student named Master, a former bullying victim, is persuaded into joining a dominant group of boys in an isolated castle, trading his individual morality for acceptance. This group then targets a gentle, talented new student named ‘90’, destroying his art due to ritualistic physical violence that Master ultimately joins.  After ‘90’ reaches his breaking point and fights back, the story leaves Master reflecting on the terrifyingly seductive power of mob mentality and shared cruelty.

The final film in the mid fest segment -  ‘I Love You, I Leave You’, made its international premiere at MIFF, bringing to screen Swiss musician Dino Brandao's intimate journey of self-discovery and resistance against societal conformity. This multilingual feature-length directorial debut of Swiss filmmaker Moris Freiburghaus, received the prestigious Golden Eye for Best Documentary and the Audience Award at the Zurich Film Festival. Freiburghaus has crafted a documentary that blurs the boundary between observer and subject. The film follows Dino Brandao, a free-spirited Swiss musician navigating a world that demands he suppress his true self. For Dino, music provides rhythm to his cognitive overload. Through a striking blend of cinematic sequences and raw, unedited footage, the film transcends the complexity of human emotions, including the right to celebrate and the right simply to exist as oneself, without being labelled a maniac for being an expressive being. Freiburghaus gradually inserts himself into the narrative, making this a shared journey between filmmaker and subject—a meditation on empathy and understanding. The work employs music not merely as a soundtrack but as a symbol of happiness and liberation, while its circular narrative structure mirrors the cyclical nature of personal struggle and self-affirmation. The film succeeds in establishing the powerful binary between the separation of the sick and the healthy and conveys a timely message for audiences across cultures, making ‘I Love You, I Leave You’ a juxtaposed statement and a remarkable standout work in contemporary documentary cinema.

Together the three films showcased compelling stories reflecting upon the complexity of human emotions and added to the rich tapestry of cinematic brilliance at 19^th MIFF 2026.

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PIB Team MIFF | Mahesh Kumar / Nikita Joshi / Riyas Babu/ Ashish Sangle/ Arushi Kumari/Darshana Rane