14th Dharamshala International Film Festival to Feature Global Independent Films

The 14th edition of the Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) is set to take place in the picturesque Himalayan foothills from October 30 to November 2 at the Tibetan Children’s Village in Upper Dharamshala.

The festival will open with Neeraj Ghaywan’s film Homebound and conclude with Anuparna Roy’s Songs of Forgotten Trees, which previously won the Horizons award at the Venice Film Festival.

DIFF, renowned for highlighting independent cinema, attracts filmmakers and audiences worldwide to its non-competitive platform.

Opening Film: Homebound
Ghaywan’s Homebound, inspired by a 2020 New York Times article by Basharat Peer, tells the story of two lifelong friends from a North Indian village aspiring to become police officers. Premiered at Cannes, the film explores how societal and personal pressures strain their bond as they strive for respect and a better life.

International Highlights
The festival continues its collaboration with the Sydney Film Festival, featuring two Australian films: Emma Hough Hobbs and Leela Varghese’s queer sci-fi short Lesbian Space Princess, and Gabrielle Brady’s Oscar submission documentary The Wolves Always Come at Night.

Other notable screenings include Bhutan’s Oscar entry I, The Song by Dechen Roder; Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner Cactus Pears by Rohan Parashuram Kanawade; Rich Peppiatt’s Irish-language film Kneecap; and Raoul Peck’s documentary Orwell 2+2=5.

Additional selections feature Carla Simón’s Romeria (Spain), Hlynur Plmason’s Cannes entry The Love That Remains, Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni’s Cutting Through Rocks, Prabhash Chandra’s Alaav, Kunsang Kyirong’s 100 Sunset, and Tannishtha Chatterjee’s Busan-debuting Full Plate, starring Kirti Kulhari and Sharib Hashmi.

Workshops and Masterclasses
The festival will host a masterclass by acclaimed filmmaker Kiran Rao, along with a session led by actor Adil Hussain on authentically portraying characters from diverse cultural and global backgrounds.

Closing Film: Songs of Forgotten Trees
The festival will conclude with Anuparna Roy’s Songs of Forgotten Trees, a Mumbai-set drama focusing on the delicate bond between a migrant actor/sex worker and a call-center employee who sublets her apartment. The film won the Horizons award for Best Director at the Venice Film Festival earlier this year.

This year’s DIFF promises a rich celebration of global storytelling, blending acclaimed international entries with India’s finest independent cinema.