The one-stop destination for independent films, unlike any other in the country, Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) is all set to kickstart its 13th edition from November 7-10 at the Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV), set against the majestic backdrop of the Dhauladhar mountains in McLeod Ganj, showcasing more than 80 films from more than 28 countries, spanning narrative features, documentaries and short films, animation, alongside powerful stories from South Asia.
DIFF was founded in 2012 by filmmakers Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam to promote independent filmmaking and foster in-depth conversations around contemporary cinema, support local talent, and engage the diverse communities of the Himalayan region. After the physical festival, DIFF Online will stream a curated selection of films remotely. DIFF parallely runs impactful outreach programmes, bringing film screenings and discussions to local schools and colleges. Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam have also made a short film in the first-ever Tibetan-language anthology feature film, State of Statelessness, which will also be screened at DIFF, after its world premiere at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). Directed by Tibetan filmmakers in India, America, and Vietnam, the film explores themes of statelessness and migration through four poignant stories of Tibetans living in exile.
Co-founder Tenzing Sonam says about the festival, “DIFF has always been about more than just watching films — it’s a space for filmmakers and audiences to engage deeply with cinema and the stories that shape our world.”
The programme this year includes a mix of bold narratives and thought-provoking documentaries that explore pressing global themes. Bina Paul, DIFF’s director of programming, says about the 2024 line-up: “Our programme for the 13th edition of DIFF is a mix of films that directly explore difficult subjects like social inequalities and trauma, and those that allow audiences to briefly forget these realities and lose themselves in different worlds — both inner and outer — in the special way that only cinema can do.”
Co-founder Ritu Sarin is “incredibly proud to see a strong representation of women in this year’s festival, with 24 out of 45 feature films being directed by women — 13 of them by Indian filmmakers — along with 19 short and mid-length films directed by women.” A filmmaker herself, Sarin believes “it’s essential to uplift and celebrate the voices of women in cinema. Their stories are vital, and this year’s lineup is a testament to the creativity and talent within our community."
The 2024 festival is bookended by two rooted films. It will open with the highly acclaimed film, All We Imagine as Light, directed by Payal Kapadia and starring Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha and Chhaya Kadam. The Cannes Grand Prix winner was the first Indian film to compete for the Palme d’Or in 30 years, and befittingly, will be shown on all festival screens on the Opening Night of DIFF 2024. The film lost out in the race to India’s Oscar entry selection but is, rightfully, being celebrated across festivals. It recently opened the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, too, and is nominated in Gotham Awards 2024 in the US. The film will release in Indian theatres on November 22. DIFF will close with Pooja, Sir, directed by Nepal’s Deepak Rauniyar, that had its world premiere at the Venice International Film Festival.
International highlights include Separated by acclaimed director Errol Morris, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival; The Room Next Door by Pedro Almodóvar, winner of the Golden Lion at Venice; MA – Cry of Silence by The Maw Naing, recipient of the New Currents Award at the Busan International Film Festival; In the Land of Brothers by notable Iranian directors Alireza Ghasemi and Raha Amirfazl; and Agent of Happiness by Arun Bhattarai and Dorottya Zurbó, which won the Best Film Award at Biografilm 2024.
This year’s Indian highlights include Sad Letters of an Imaginary Woman by Nidhi Saxena; Second Chance by Himachali filmmaker Subhadra Mahajan; Girls Will Be Girls by Shuchi Talati, winner of the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival; Marching in the Dark by Kinshuk Surjan, recipient of the Audience Choice Award at the Biografilm Festival and the Best International Documentary Award at DocAviv; Nocturnes by Anirban Dutta and Anupama Srinivasan, which premiered and won at Sundance Film Festival (World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Craft) and won Silver Award at MAMI Mumbai; A Fly on the Wall by Nilesh Maniyar and Shonali Bose, which premiered at Busan International Film Festival; We Are Faheem & Karun, directed by Onir (presented by Deepa Mehta); Ade (on a Sunday) by Theja Rio, which premiered first at IFFR Rotterdam and won the Best Film award given by Royal Stag Barrel Select LargeShort Film at MAMI Mumbai; Village Rockstars 2 by Rima Das, winner of the Kim Jiseok Award at Busan International Film Festival; Silan by Ashmita Guha-Neogi, whose first film CatDog was the first Indian student film to win the La Cinef (Cinefondation) Award at Cannes in 2020; Gagan Gaman by Suruchi Sharma; Ballad of The Mountain by Tarun Jain; Poem of the Wind by Ramakaushalyan Ramakrishnan; Taak by Udit Khurana; and Chaar Phool Hain Aur Duniya Hai by Achal Mishra, a mid-length film making its world premiere at DIFF 2024. And two short documentaries, Umbro and Making Space, produced by Rough Edges, run by Tulika Srivastava and Ridhima Mehra, who were formerly with PSBT (Public Service Broadcasting Trust).
With 100-plus filmmakers, cast and crew in attendance, this year’s DIFF will also feature panel discussions, Q&A sessions and masterclasses with visiting national and international filmmakers. Highlights include a much-anticipated masterclass — on making cinema in postmodern, post-truth times — with the popular and critically acclaimed director, Dibakar Banerjee; as well as an insightful conversation on “stepping into character” by actor Shahana Goswami (whose film Santosh, which is the UK’s Oscar entry, will also be screened) and film editor and DIFF programming director Bina Paul. Also to be screened at the festival is Banerjee’s unreleased Tees, which was “shelved” by Netflix, possibly after Amazon Prime’s Tandav controversy.
PictureTime (mobile digital movie theatre) will provide technical support to DIFF, screening films across two auditoriums on site and two PictureTime patented portable digital theatres.
Film Critics Guild will present the Gender Sensitivity Award at the festival, too.
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