World Premiere of AFF 2026 splashes $100,0000 on moving image commission
Adelaide Film Festival (AFF) and Samstag Museum of Art are delighted to present the World Premiere of منّت mannat by Naina Sen (NT), Naveed Farro (Vic) and Harrison Hall (Vic).
Filmed in India and inspired by Indo-Persian architectural traditions, منّت mannat is a joyous celebration of Sufi poetry, dance and Qawwali music.
منّت mannat, Photography by Naina Sen, courtesy the artists
Visitors to the gallery are welcomed into an installation inspired by the courtyard of the Dargah Sharif of Hazrat Nizamuddin Aulia. Located in the heart of New Delhi, this is one of the most revered and historically significant Sufi sites in the Indian subcontinent. As the final resting place of the 13th-century Chishti saint and social reformer, the Dargah has remained, for over 700 years, a timeless centre of spiritual guidance, communal harmony, and cultural convergence.
The artists said, “The three of us met at AFF Expand Lab 2024 and were thrilled to be awarded the AFF $100,000 Expand Moving Image Commission. We are so proud to be presenting the world premiere of منّت mannat at Samstag Museum of part of the 2026 Adelaide Film Festival. We have brought our creative and cultural backgrounds together to produce a work celebrating the syncretic legacies of Indo-Persian architecture, poetry, music and dance which are very much alive today in the remarkable and significant Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya Dargah Sufi shrine in Delhi.”
منّت mannat was developed at AFF Expand Lab 2024 an initiative of the Adelaide Film Festival. AFF’s CEO & Creative Director Mat Kesting said:
“Over its three editions in 2022, 2023 & 2024 Ruby Award-winning AFF Expand Lab brought together renowned mentors and 90 Australian visual, film and media artists. It has fostered creative projects, collaborations, networks, friendships and three major Moving Image Commissions. We are delighted to present the final commission and I congratulate the artists on their exceptional and immersive moving image work. I particularly acknowledge the support of the AFF Investment Fund and The Balnaves Foundation for making the AFF 2026 $100,000 Expand Moving Image Commission possible.”
Hamish Balnaves, CEO of The Balnaves Foundation, the Principal Partner of AFF Expand Lab, said:
“Congratulations to Naina, Naveed and Harrison on the world premiere of منّت mannat their AFF 2026 $100,000 Expand Moving Image Commission. The Balnaves Foundation is committed to community and diversity and I applaud this work that brings culture, history and celebration together. Thank you to the Adelaide Film Festival, Samstag Museum of Art and project partners of the AFF Expand Lab & Commission. The Foundation has been thrilled to be a part of this outstanding initiative and to see the remarkable creative works that have emerged from this unrivalled moving image development program.”
منّت mannat is part of the Samstag Museum of Art Wirltuti season opening at 5pm on Thursday 8 October together with exhibitions from Robert Fielding (Yankunytjatjara, Western Arrernte, Afghan and Pakistani) and Keith Piper (UK).
The Expand Commission artists will present a free Artist Talk at 12.30pm on Friday 9 October.
The exhibition runs from 9 October – 4 December 2026, Tues-Sat 10am-5pm with free entry at Samstag Museum of Art, Adelaide University City Campus West, 55 North Tce.
For more information: https://www.adelaidefilmfestival.org/initiatives/aff-expand-lab
Image link HERE
About the Artists
Naveed Farro is an artist based in Naarm/Melbourne. His practice spans sculpture, filmmaking, and photography. Drawing on his Iranian heritage, Farro combines digital technologies with traditional craftsmanship to navigate the challenges of accessing cultural knowledge across geopolitical borders.
Harrison Hall’s work situates contemporary performance and dance in experiential art environments. His recent works traverse states of flux within digital and live worlds. He is based in Naarm/Melbourne and was a recipient of the Chloe Munro AO Fellowship in 2022.
Born in New Delhi, India, Naina Sen is a Walkley and AACTA nominated filmmaker and video artist.
Based between the lands of the Larrakia People in Darwin, Northern Territory and New Delhi, India, Naina works across documentary, video installation and live projection.
