Cinema lives through the spaces that allow it to be seen, discussed, and remembered.
At DIFF 2025, filmmaker @raodyness reflected on the importance of film festivals in shaping the life of independent cinema… creating room for discovery, conversation, and audiences beyond mainstream distribution systems. She spoke about the challenges of exhibition and access in India, and why festivals continue to play such a vital role.
In this conversation, Kiran shares her thoughts on the evolving landscape of Indian cinema, the need for more spaces for independent films to thrive, and the value of watching films collectively on the big screen.
Watch the full interview on YouTube! Link in bio.
Video by @faem.in
14 years, 14 posters, 14 different ways of seeing the mountains, cinema and this festival.
As we prepare for our 15th edition, we’d like to invite artists and designers from the Indian Himalayan Region to create the official festival poster for this year.
Share yours before 10th May! More details on the pinned post and submission link in bio 🖌️
DIFF On the Road travels to Italy 🇮🇹
In collaboration with the Museo Nazionale del Cinema (@cinemamassimo.torino ), we’re presenting a curated selection of five films from India.
Eleonora (@eleo_o_o ) from our programming team will be present for select screenings… continuing the conversations, exchanges, and connections that extend beyond the festival itself.
Schedule:
No Winter Holidays
Tuesday, May 5 — 16:00
Thursday, May 7 — 16:00
The Shepherdess of the Glaciers
Tuesday, May 5 — 18:30
Thursday, May 7 — 20:30
The Winter Within
Tuesday, May 5 — 20:30
Friday, May 8 — 18:30
State of Statelessness
Wednesday, May 6 — 16:00
Friday, May 8 — 18:30
The Shepherdess and the Seven Songs
Wednesday, May 6 — 18:30
Friday, May 8 — 20:30
We hope to see you there!
It’s time!
If you have a film, a story, a piece of work that needs to be experienced with a room full of people - send it our way. There’s nothing quite like watching it with an audience that’s really there for it.
Submissions are now open. Submit via link in bio.
It’s never just about watching a film. It’s the room, the questions, the conversations that spill out after, the people who stay till the end credits. That’s what makes DIFF what it is.
Submissions for DIFF 2026 opening soon!
Cinema, memory, and legacy came together at DIFF 2025 with Andrey A. Tarkovsky.
We were happy to present Nostalghia and
Andrey Tarkovsky: A Cinema Prayer, two deeply connected works that trace an extraordinary artistic lineage - between father, son, and grandfather.
Andrey reflects on his experience of DIFF 2025 and the importance of a big screen, the conversations the films continue to open up across generations, and the warmth of an audience that connected so deeply with the work.
Watch the full interview on YouTube. Link in our bio!
Video by @faem.in
DIFF is turning 15! As we excitedly gear up for this edition, we’re opening up the poster for DIFF 2026 to the community we love.
If you’re a designer or artist from the Indian Himalayan region, send us your take. Make it unique, make it yours.
All details in the post. Submission link in bio!
DIFF On the Road in collaboration with @knmaindia presents the screening of Secret of a Mountain Serpent followed by a Q&A with director Nidhi Saxena.
Set during the Kargil war, the film follows Barkha, a school teacher navigating desire, memory and myth in a remote Himalayan town.
6:45pm on 18th April at KNMA, New Delhi. Register via link in our bio. See you there!
DIFF’s commitment to community engagement remains a cornerstone of its mission. For over a decade, the festival has delivered meaningful outreach programmes, bringing the magic of cinema to local communities across the Himalayan region.
This year, we are excited to partner with @royalenfieldsocialmission to expand that outreach even further. These photos capture moments from the beginning of our collaboration, with participants aged 9 to 65. What began in rooms filled with reserve gradually transformed into spaces of laughter, reflection, and curiosity – sparking conversations around creativity, personal growth, real-world issues, and the power of film as a tool for telling their own stories.
Grateful to the following filmmakers for giving us the opportunity to share their films with our community:
Ballad of a Mountain by Tarun Jain (@tar.jain )
Shera by Arun Fulara (@arunfulara )
Mic Drop by Kallol Mukherjee (@karlz.3gp )
Nirnay by Pushpa Rawat
