Dharamshala International Film Festival unveils line-up for 11th edition

The 11th Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF), which features the best independent films from India and throughout the world, is back with a physical edition after being driven online by the pandemic for two years. DIFF will have a sizable group of filmmakers who will attend to screen their films, and the schedule also features seminars and workshops.

DIFF will once more take place at the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts (TIPA), which is close to McLeod Ganj's main square. The screening locations include two of PictureTime's cutting-edge mobile digital theatres in addition to the freshly constructed auditorium at TIPA. Modern digital facilities will be installed in each location to assure the highest level of quality.

Festival Director Ritu Sarin said, “We’re so excited to announce our line-up! As we come out of two years of Covid, we’ve had a bumper crop of amazing new films from across India and the world to select from. It’s been a really difficult challenge for our selection team to sift through so many fine films and we’ve had many long discussions and debates before deciding on the final programme. We’re looking forward to once again welcoming audiences and filmmakers to live, breathe, and talk cinema for a few days in the beautiful surroundings of McLeod Ganj!”

This year’s line-up of Indian features: Jhini Bini Chadariya (The Brittle Thread) by Ritesh Sharma; Manikbabur Megh (The Cloud and the Man) by Abhinandan Banerjee; Pedro by Natesh Hegde; Shankar’s Fairies by Irfana Majumdar; Taangh (Longing) by Bani Singh; Urf (a.k.a) by Geetika Narang Abbasi; Adh Chanani Raat (Crescent Night) by Gurvinder Singh; Cannes Film Festival Golden Eye Award Winner, All That Breathes by Shaunak Sen; Dharti Latar Re Horo (Tortoise Under the Earth) by Shishir Jha; Dhuin by Achal Mishra; Dostojee by Prasun Chatterjee; and Watch Over Me by Farida Pacha.

International highlights include: A New Old Play (China, 2021) by Qiu Jiongjiong; Neighbours (Switzerland, Iraq, Syria, 2021) by Mano Khalil; Rehana (Bangladesh, Singapore, Qatar, 2021) by Abdullah Mohammed Saad; The Crossing (France, Germany, Czech Republic, 2021) by Florence Miailhe; Dear Future Children (Germany, UK, Austria, 2021) by Franz Böhm; Flee (Denmark, France, Norway, Sweden, 2021) by Jonas Poher Rasmussen; The Silence of the Mole (Guatemala, 2021) by Anais Taracena; and The Territory (Brazil, Denmark, USA, 2022) by Alex Pritz.

Children's movies, animated movies, and shorts are included in the DIFF 2022 schedule. Filmmaker Umesh Kulkarni, who has supported and participated in DIFF since its very first year, selected the shorts. Monica Wahi, a children's media specialist who has been choosing films for DIFF for a while, is the curator of the festival's young adults programme.

For those who are unable to attend the DIFF physically this year, a digital version of DIFF 2022 will be available online from November 7 to November 13 with a condensed lineup. Viewers will only be able to view the movies that have granted DIFF authorization for internet screenings. Soon, passes and further information will be available.