Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], August 5 (ANI): Pragya Kapoor's 'Maali' film will be having its world premiere at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2022.

The film will be screened on August 18.

"Maali is a film which is close to my heart. When I heard the story of the film from Sonali and Shiv for the first time, I instantly connected with the world and agreed to come on board as a presenter. Filmmakers who have the passion and drive to tell meaningful, engaging stories about real issues need to be encouraged," Pragya said"The story of 'Maali' brings alive the most pertinent global conversation around deforestation and mental health. I am eagerly looking forward to taking 'Maali' to its world Premiere in Melbourne on the 18th of August at the prestigious Indian Film Festival of Melbourne. We would like Maali to reach every household so people can understand the importance of trees and how nature conservation is important for our well-being and mental health," she added.

Shiv C. Shetty, who has written and directed the film, said, "'Maali' is a reflection of what we see around us today; at one end there is rapid urbanization and at the other end, soon-to-be-extinct nature."'Maali' is a journey of a 16-year-old girl Tulsi, from the calm mountains to the concrete jungle and her struggle when she witnesses the life of the city; greed, loneliness and depression.In the film, you will experience a young Maali's journey from the serene mountains to the concrete jungle and the effects of deforestation on our well-being and mental health.

Speaking of the upcoming edition of IFFM, it is making its comeback for its physical version of the festival, after the festival has been solely virtual for the last two years. This year the festival will run from August 12 to August 20 and will also have virtual programming between 13-30 August for Australian audiences.

This year there are over 100 films across 23 languages being screened at the festival.The Awards night is all set to take place on the 14th of August in Melbourne. The awards will recognise the best in cinematic talent from across the Indian subcontinent across the formats of feature films and will also honour the acclaimed OTT series. This year's nominations will see films and content which were released between August 2021 to April 2022.

The festival will be opened with the film, Taapsee Pannu's Dobaaraa which has been directed by Anurag Kashyap. (ANI)