Dharamshala Film Festival Opens With Busan Winner and New Lineup

The 15th Dharamshala International Film Festival launched on Oct. 29 at the Tibetan Children's Village in Upper Dharamshala. Shashank Walia's debut feature, "Birds in the Dark," is scheduled to close the four-day event on Nov. 1. This marks the India premiere of the film, which follows a call center executive mistaken for a police suspect. Walia secured two prizes for the movie at the Busan International Film Festival earlier this month.

Organizers have expanded the schedule with several new titles. Mehrdad Oskouei's "A Fox Under a Pink Moon" is included in the lineup. The film, created with Afghan artist Soraya Akhlaghi, tracks her attempts to reach her mother in Austria. Paromita Vohra's "Working Girls" also joins the program. This documentary examines the invisible labor performed by women throughout India.

Other recent additions include Yashasvi Juyal's "The Ink Stained Hand and The Missing Thumb." This South Asia premiere is set in a lonely highway toll booth in northern India. Ridham Janve's "Hunter's Moon" is also part of the new slate, set in the Upper Dhauladhar range. The shorts section will host the world premiere of Aastha Tiku's "Dreamboat," along with "Hudke ki Pyaang Pyaang" by Arun Fulara and "Damned" by Varun Grover.

Bina Paul, the festival's director of programming, stated that the selection process prioritizes distinctive voices and boundary-pushing work. "While curating, we look for distinctive voices, boundary-pushing filmmaking and films that open up new ways of seeing and thinking," she said. She noted that this strategy has allowed the festival to build a diverse program while maintaining a commitment to independent cinema.

The festival opens with Rima Das' "Not a Hero," which receives its South Asia premiere. Other featured titles include Óliver Laxe's "Sirāt" and Shaunak Sen's "Termite." "Termite" is having its Asia premiere, while Gurvinder Singh's "Rehmat" is having its India premiere. The lineup also includes "Time and Water" by Sara Dosa, "Celtic Utopia" by Dennis Harvey and Lars Lovén, and "Shadowbox" by Tanushree Das and Saumyananda Sahi.

The Himalayan Film Fellows initiative, supported by Arthshila, is currently working with seven filmmakers from the Indian Himalayan Region. These individuals are developing their first or second fiction features under the mentorship of Dechen Roder, Umesh Kulkarni, and Dominic Sangma. In partnership with Royal Enfield Social Mission, the festival is also completing 24 community screenings across Kangra. These events are taking place at schools, nunneries, and the district jail.

Filmmakers Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam started DIFF in 2012. They said the goal was to create a communal space for independent films where audiences and filmmakers could interact beyond the screening room. "Fifteen years later, that spirit remains at the heart of the festival," they said. They expressed excitement about welcoming attendees to the mountains for this year's edition.