Konkona Sen Sharma’s directorial debut and internationally acclaimed feature, A Death in the Gunj to screen at 6th Dharamshala International Film Festival
6th Dharamshala International Film Festival, 2-5 November 2017, Registration open, first set of line-up announced!
The two award-winning documentaries: Kirsten Johnson’s Cameraperson which at premiered at the Sundance Film Festival to critical acclaim and won the top prize at the Sheffield Doc/Fest; and Rahul Jain’s Machines which won the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Excellence in Cinematography at 2017’s Sundance Film Festival will be screened at DIFF~
Special screening of A Death in the Gunj, presented in person by director Konkona Sen Sharma~
India premiere of Out of This World (USA), a newly restored version of journalist and writer Lowell Thomas’ fascinating account of his travels to Tibet in 1949 (originally released in 1954) ~
Deepak Rauniyar’s Oscar entry from Nepal, White Sun ~
South Asian premieres of three acclaimed experimental films:
Amar Kanwar’s Such a Morning (India), and Naeem Mohaiemen’s Tripoli Cancelled (Bangladesh), both of which premiered this year at Documenta 14; and Singapore filmmaker Tan Pin Pin’s In Time to Come ~
The sixth Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) will take place from 2 to 5 November 2017 in the beautiful mountain town of McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala— home of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the meeting point of a rich and cosmopolitan mix of people and cultures.
This year’s line-up includes two award-winning documentaries—Kirsten Johnson’s Cameraperson (USA, 2016), Rahul Jain’s Machines (India, 2016) which screened at 10 international film festivals, and won the World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Excellence in Cinematography at 2017’s Sundance Film Festival.
There will be a special screening of the critically acclaimed A Death in the Gunj, presented in person by director Konkona Sen Sharma.
DIFF 2017 will also feature the Indian premiere of Out of This World (USA), a newly restored version of journalist and writer Lowell Thomas’ fascinating account of his travels to Tibet in 1949 (originally released in 1954).
This year’s feature films include Dain Said’s Interchange (Malaysia, 2016), Yaniv Berman’s Land of the Little People (Israel, 2016), Dechen Roder’s Honeygiver Among the Dogs (Bhutan, 2016), Yoshinori Sato’s Her Mother (Japan), Mano Khalil’s The Swallow (Switzerland), Karma Takapa’s Ralang Road, which premiered at this year’s Karlovy Vary Film Festival (an Indian film to be selected at the fest after 13 years), and Deepak Rauniyar’s Oscar entry from Nepal, White Sun which premiered at 73rd Venice Film Festival and won Interfilm Award and new voices/new visions grand jury prize at the Palm Springs festival.
DIFF continues its tradition of showcasing experimental films by presenting the South Asia premieres of three features by well-known artists and filmmakers: Amar Kanwar’s Such a Morning (India), and Naeem Mohaiemen’s Tripoli Cancelled (Bangladesh), both of which premiered this year at Documenta 14; and Singapore filmmaker Tan Pin Pin’s In Time to Come, which had its world premiere at Visions du Reel and was in competition at Hot Docs and Sheffield Doc Fest.
DIFF is presented by White Crane Arts & Media, a trust founded by veteran filmmakers Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam to promote contemporary cinema, art and independent media practices in the Himalayan regions of India.
This year’s festival is once again supported by its long-term partners, Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary, and the Government of Himachal Pradesh through its departments of Tourism, and Language, Arts, and Culture.
The first edition of DIFF was held in 2012. Since then, it has become established as one of India’s leading independent film festivals. DIFF’s cutting-edge and eclectic programming, which includes many India premieres, and its policy of inviting as many directors as possible, has made it one of the ‘go-to’ events in any cinephile’s calendar. At DIFF 2016, hundreds of cinema enthusiasts from across India and the world converged to watch films and discuss the state of modern cinema—whilst some of India’s best-known film critics and journalists were on hand to cover the event.
Festival director Ritu Sarin comments, “Over the past six years, DIFF has carved out a special niche in the landscape of Indian film festivals. It is loved by filmmakers and film buffs alike and we want to ensure that DIFF 2017 continues to build on the qualities for which the festival has come to be known—its intimacy, warmth, unpretentiousness and single-minded focus on highlighting good indie cinema, all within beautiful mountain surroundings.”
This year’s shorts selection is curated by filmmaker Umesh Kulkarni, whilst our Children’s Film Programme is curated by children’s media specialist Monica Wahi.
Many Indian and International directors will attend DIFF 2017 to present their work and participate in Q&A sessions.
The festival will also continue its DIFF Film Fellows Programme, which was first set up in 2014 to enable budding filmmakers from the Indian Himalayan regions to participate in mentorship sessions with established filmmakers.
For the second consecutive year, DIFF will be hosted by the Tibetan Children’s Village (TCV)—a beautiful, sprawling venue, 15 minutes’ drive from McLeod Ganj. Festival films will be screened in TCV’s two auditoriums, with all other events—including masterclasses, panel discussions, workshops and a pop-up market—located within walking distance.
Once again, we look forward to welcoming you to a showcase of stimulating, inspiring and innovative screenings and events.
