Uma da Cunha is a Programmer, journalist, researcher and casting director. She obtained her Masters Degree in English Literature from Delhi University and taught the subject for a year at Miranda House. After working as Copywriter with Lintas Advertising, Uma joined the Directorate of Film Festivals in Delhi as Deputy Director in the early 1970s. Over the years Uma has been the India representative of international film festivals held in Toronto, Dubai and more recently Busan. She is the Founder-Adviser of Indian film festivals held in London, Los Angeles, Stuttgart, The Hague, Florence, Houston, Melbourne. She programmes for the MJio MAMI and the International Film Festival of Kerala. She has been on the jury of Cannes International Film Festival (2009), Un Certain Regard (2010), the FIPRESCI jury at Pusan International Film Festival. In November 2015 she served on the International Jury for Feature Films at Cochin’s First All Lights India International Film Festival as also IFFI. She has also been active in film societies such as Anandam and initiated Dristhi. She also served briefly as President for Maharashtra Region of the Federation of Film Societies. Her work as casting director includes films such as Monsoon Wedding, Holy Smoke, Lagaanand Water among others. She has written extensively on the cinema and has edited several publications. She now edits Film India Worldwide.