When filmmakers and longtime Dharamshala residents Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam started the Dharamshala International Film Festival in 2012, their main aims were to bring independent cinema to the Himalayan region, encourage local filmmaking talent, and create a meaningful cultural platform to engage the area’s diverse communities. Fourteen years later, DIFF has become one of India’s leading independent film festivals, and attracts audiences from across the country and further afield. The festival also nurtures the larger independent filmmaking community in India and South Asia, and builds networks of solidarity, support and resources.
DIFF is known for its bold and adventurous programming that enriches knowledge and understanding of societies, cultures and ideas. Its cutting-edge films provoke questions and discussion on issues that are relevant and current, and address universal themes of human experience. Bringing filmmakers to the festival has been a constant priority for DIFF and its large network of alumni filmmakers and film professionals includes the majority of key independent filmmakers working in South Asia today.
After two years of Covid-19 instigated online editions, the 11th edition of DIFF came back with a bang in 2022 as a physical event. The festival was a huge success and attracted more audiences than ever before.
The 14th Edition of DIFF will take place once again in McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala from 30 October – 02 November 2025. The DIFF team eagerly looks forward to welcoming its audiences back with another carefully curated lineup of exciting, unusual and eclectic films, along with a range of interactive sessions with filmmakers and film professionals.
The Story of Dharamshala International Film Festival, Asian Film Archive
