Dharamsala: Raam Reddys critically acclaimed Kannada film Thithi will open the fifth edition of the Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF), while Vetrimarans Tamil drama Visaranai (Interrogation) will be the closing film.
DIFF, to be held from November 3 to 6 at the Tibetan Children's Village, Dharamsala, will showcase unconventional, adventurous works that couple cinematic experimentation with pressing political and social concerns.
DIFF is curated by festival directors Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam, along with associate director Raman Chawla, filmmaker Umesh Kulkarni (short films programme) and children's media specialist Monica Wahi (children's films programme).
Ritu and Tenzing jointly said in a statement: "As we celebrate our fifth edition, we hope to build on the hallmarks that have made DIFF such a special event. After reviewing hundreds of films over many months, we have put together a slate of films that embody the spirit of independent cinema, that demonstrate strong directorial vision and a willingness to take risks, and that tell stories that are relevant in today's world."
Feature documentaries include Wojciech Staron's Brothers (Poland), Steffi Giaracuni's Didi Contractor: Marrying the Earth to the Building (Switzerland), Mickey Lemle's The Last Dalai Lama? (US) and more.
Feature Narratives (International) has films from Thailand, Hong Kong, South Korea, Germany, Bhutan and more.
The Indian features has Thithi, Visaranai, Circles of the Mind and The Violin Player, among others.
Short films (International) has Tenzin Dasel and Rémi Caritey's Royal Café (France) and Kristóf Deák's Sing (Hungary).
There will be Indian Short Films too.
Special local interest this year comes in the form of the spotlight on Kangra Valley programme, which has Dharamsala director Sanjeev Kumar's feature Man de Phere; Prabhijit Dhamijia's short Asmad and more.
Presented in collaboration with Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary, the festival is also supported by the Himachal Pradesh government and the National Film Development Corporation of India.
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