Dharamshala — The 14th edition of Dharamshala International Film Festival will take place from October 30 to November 2,2025, at the Upper Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV), Dharamshala with 85 International film including three Tibetan films:100 Sunset - Kunsang Kyirong (Canada), a poignant drama about two young Tibetan-Canadian women in Toronto navigating friendship and cultural expectations, Mola— A Tibetan Tale of Love and Loss by Yangzom Brauen and Martin Brauen, Far from Home by Kristi Tethong.
The Directors of the Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) Ritu Sarin and Tezing Sonam held a press conference at the DC office in Dharamshala on October 24, 2025 and announced that the 14th edition of Dharamshala International Film Festival will take place at the Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV), Upper Dharamshala, from November 30 to 2, 2025.
Director Tenzing Sonam said, "This year, we are showing 85 films, including well-known films such as Homebound, which was nominated for an Oscar, and another famous film, Songs of Forgotten Trees. The DIFF will also show three Tibetan films, namely “100 Sunset” by Kunsang Kyirong, which received an honorable mention for the Best Canadian Discovery Award, Mola – A Tibetan Tale of Love and Loss by Yangzom Brauen and Martin Brauen, and Far from Home by Kristi Tethong. We are proud that young Tibetan filmmakers are gaining a foothold on the international stage."
"Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) proudly announces its 14th edition, to be held from 30 October to 2 November 2025 at the picturesque Tibetan Children's Village in Upper Dharamshala. Over the past decade, DIFF has firmly established itself as India's leading independent film festival - not only for the exceptional quality of its curation, but for creating a rare and meaningful space where filmmakers, audiences and ideas connect outside the pressures of the mainstream," the statement of DIFF said.
"This year's Opening Night Film is Homebound, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, India's official entry to the 2026 Oscars. The film follows two childhood friends from a small village in North India who dream of becoming police officers, hoping the job will bring them the respect they never had. However, as they come closer to their goal, mounting pressures and struggles begin to strain their friendship. Homebound is a poignant exploration of ambition, loyalty and the complex realities of rural India - a fitting choice for a festival deeply rooted in stories of place and identity," the DIFF team explained.
"We never set out to become one of the most significant independent film festivals in the country. We simply believed that meaningful cinema deserved a home in the mountains," say Festival Directors Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam. "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 special."
This year, films will screen are Lesbian Space Princess by Emma Hough Hobbs and Leela Varghese, a vibrant queer sci-fi odyssey, and The Wolves Always Come at Night by Gabrielle Brady, a poetic hybrid documentary on displacement and survival in Mongolia. The film is Australia's 2025 entry to the Oscars. The Love That Remains - Hlynur Pálmason (Iceland), A stark yet tender exploration of love and memory set against Iceland's haunting winter landscapes, this feature is making waves on the international festival circuit after its premiere at Cannes 2025.
The Song - Dechen Roder (Bhutan, Norway), a schoolteacher accused of appearing in a non-consensual video embarks on a journey to prove her innocence by finding her lookalike in southern Bhutan. The film is Bhutan's 2025 entry to the Oscars. Sabar Bonda - Rohan Parashuram Kanawade (India, Canada, UK), a romantic drama about Anand, who returns to his hometown after a family death and rekindles a connection with his childhood friend Balya. Rohan Kanawade's feature directorial debut explores love, loss and belonging, and premiered at Sundance 2025, where it won the World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic. Kneecap - Rich Peppiatt (Ireland, UK), a wild, irreverent biopic about the rise of the Irish-language rap trio Kneecap, blending political satire, music and youthful rebellion in Belfast's charged landscape. • Orwell 2+2=5 - Raoul Peck (United States, France) A bold documentary that reinterprets Orwell's 1984 for the age of misinformation, from the Oscar-nominated director of I Am Not Your Negro.
Romeria - Carla Simón (Spain, Germany), set against the backdrop of a rural pilgrimage, Romeria is a lyrical and intimate portrait of generational change and the quiet resilience of women in small-town Spain. Cutting Through Rocks - Sara Khaki & Mohammadreza Eyni (Qatar, Chile, Iran, Canada, Netherlands, Germany, United States) Sara Shahverdi, the first elected councilwoman of her Iranian village, challenges patriarchal norms by empowering teenage girls through motorcycle training and opposing child marriage, but faces backlash that threatens her identity. Alaav - Prabhash Chandra (India), Alaav is an intimate yet unsentimental portrayal of 63-year-old Bhaveen, a devoted son and sole caregiver to his 95-year-old mother in Delhi, capturing both the tenderness and emotional complexity of caregiving. 100 Sunset - Kunsang Kyirong (Canada), a poignant drama about two young Tibetan-Canadian women in Toronto navigating friendship and cultural expectations.
Songs of Forgotten Trees - Anuparna Roy (India), recently honoured with the Orizzonti Award for Best Director at the 2025 Venice Film Festival, this poignant Mumbai-set film follows a migrant actress and part-time sex worker who sublets her apartment to a newly arrived call-centre worker, as a quiet, fragile bond forms between them amid the isolation and hustle of urban life. Andrey Tarkovsky: A Cinema Prayer - Andrey A. Tarkovsky (Russia, Italy, Sweden), deeply personal documentary about the great filmmaker, crafted and presented in person by Tarkovsky's son, offering rare archival footage and meditations on cinema, faith, and artistic legacy.
