Since its inception in 2012, the Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF), directed by Ritu Sarin & Tenzing Sonam of White Crane Film, has remained faithful to its founding mission to promote contemporary art, cinema, and independent media practice in the Himalayan regions of India and to create an engaged cultural platform that encourages intercultural exchange by bringing local and international high-profile films and filmmakers to Dharamshala. Dharamshala is a small town in the foothills of the North Indian Himalayas, home of the Tibetan exile community and their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, remote from the conventional infrastructure of international film festivals.

This year's exceptional contribution from TBA21: Daniel Steegmann Mangrané's A Dream Dreaming A Dream; the panther roaming in Dharamshala.

The lineup will include the following films, starting with the Indian films: 

Pokhar Ke Dunu Paar (On Either Sides of the Pond) by Parth Saurabh, which received a Special Mention as part of the New Directors Award at the 2022 San Sebastián International Film Festival, will have its Asian Premiere at DIFF. After a successful festival run and theatrical release in the US, Ajitpal Singh's Fire in the Mountains will have its Indian Premiere at DIFF. Aditya Vikram Sengupta's Indo-French-Norwegian Co-Production, Once Upon a Time in Calcutta, is also screening at the festival. Shankar’s Fairies by Irfana Majumdar, which had its World Premiere at Locarno Film Festival, will also be screened. All these films will be represented by their filmmakers/crew members at DIFF. 

In the international drama section, DIFF will be showing, among other titles, the exciting debut feature from renowned Chinese theatre director Qiu Jiongjiong – Jiao Ma Tang Hui (A New Old Play). Matteo Tortone’s harrowing feature set in the high altitude mining towns of Peru – Mother Lode, will be presented in person by the director.

DIFF has always programmed powerful non-fiction films from across the globe. In this edition a selection of internationally acclaimed documentary films will be shown .These include: Gianfranco Rosi’s latest offering, In Viaggio, which had a successful premiere at the Venice Film Festival earlier this year; 2022 Sundance Film Festival favourite, The Territory by Alex Pritz; The Eclipse by Nataša Urban, which won the Top Award at CPH:DOX 2022; and award winning animation docudrama, Flee, by Jonas Poher Rasmussen.

This is just a taster of the very exciting program DIFF will present this year!
The Festival Schedule is now available on our website! Please click here to view.