Dharamshala International Film Festival 2025 to begin on Oct 30, entire lineup out

Mumbai: The 14th edition of the Dharamshala International Film Festival is all set to begin on October 30 at the Tibetan Children’s Village in Upper Dharamshala. The festival will extend till November 2. The announcement was made by the organisers of the festival on Wednesday. 

"We never set out to become one of the most prominent independent festivals in the country. We simply believed that meaningful cinema deserved a home in the mountains,” said  Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam, the festival directors, in an official statement. 

They added, "DIFF has grown organically over 14 years – not through flash or hype, but through the passion of filmmakers, the trust of our audiences, and the community that returns year after year. That’s what makes it so meaningful." 

Like every year, the independent film festival has an interesting lineup for cinephiles. It will open with the screening of Homebound, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, featuring Ishaan Khatter, Janhvi Kapoor and Vishal Jethwa. The film is India's submission for the Oscars 2026. 

Australian films Lesbian Space Princess and The Wolves Always Come at Night will also be featured as part of the festival's global lineup. 

Rohan Parashuram Kanawade's Sabar Bonda and Tannishtha Chatterjee's Full Plate are some of the other movies queued up for the audience. I, The Song, Kneecap and Orwell 2 2=5 are the other films.

The festival will end with the Songs of Forgotten Trees by Anuparna Roy, which won the Orizzonti Best Director award at Venice 2025. 

Apart from the film viewings, the festival will host a masterclass by filmmaker Kiran Rao, which will be focused on her cinematic journey and the changing landscape of independent film.