The much-awaited 11th Edition of the International Film Festival of Shimla (IFFS) is set to begin with the screening of the Persian film 'Electron' directed by Mehran Ranjbar from Iran as its inaugural film.
The festival, scheduled from September 5 to September 7 brings together filmmakers, artists, and audiences from across the globe.
Renowned producer-writer Chander Prakash Dwivedi and acclaimed actor Chhaya Kadam will grace the festival as celebrity guests, adding to the cultural vibrancy and creative spirit of this cinematic celebration.
This year’s festival has drawn a record-breaking participation from 43 countries and 23 Indian states, presenting their work from around the world. Over the course of three days, 163 films will be screened, and their directors will be present to interact with the audience, offering a rich blend of world cinema, regional narratives, and thought-provoking documentaries. This year the festival has five venues for screening.
Three screens will be set in Gaiety Theatre, Shimla, and other venues for the screening will be Himachal Pradesh University, Summerhill, Shimla, for students, and Model Central Jail Kanda in Shimla and Model Central Jail Nahan, Sirmaur, and Juvenile Home, Shimla, where special screenings will be done for inmates. Besides this, there will be a special screen in one of the halls in Gaiety Theatre for school children under the category BACHPAN, and also differently-abled children from School Dhali are invited for these screenings.
The festival, being organised by Himalayan Velocity in collaboration with the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Govt. of India, and the Department of Language & Culture (LAC), Government of Himachal Pradesh, has gained immense popularity in the past years.
Festival director Pushp Raj Thakur said this prestigious cinematic event promises to celebrate the art of storytelling through the lens of diverse cultures and perspectives. In the International category, filmmakers from China, Netherlands, Spain, Lebanon, Australia, Italy, Russia, Republic of Korea, United States of America, Taiwan, Mexico, United Arab Emirates, Islamic Republic of Iran, United Kingdom, Canada, Morocco, Georgia, Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Cuba, Bangladesh, Poland, Switzerland, Finland, Portugal, Ukraine, Nepal, Tunisia, Ghana (West Africa), Senegal (West Africa), Togo, Guinea-Bissau, Latvia (Northern Europe), Greece, Mali, Palestine (West Africa), Thailand, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Southeast Europe), Croatia, Hungary, Cyprus, New Zealand, and Turkey are participating.
Indian filmmakers from states like Maharashtra, Haryana, Assam, West Bengal, Telangana, Odisha, Gujarat, Delhi, Manipur, Kerala, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Himachal Pradesh are also participating.
This festival will feature competitions in International, National, and State categories. There will also be specially curated sessions focusing on issues, themes, countries, and the works of filmmakers. The program will also include the screening of films, seminar/workshop sessions with experts from film institutes, film critics, and the film industry. Sixty independent directors whose films will be screened in the festival will also grace the three-day-long event.
The International Film Festival of Shimla has consistently evolved as a unique cultural platform, bridging cinematic traditions from across the world while also showcasing the diverse voices of Indian filmmakers. With its inclusive venues—from historic theatres to educational institutions and correctional facilities—the festival reinforces its commitment to making cinema accessible to all sections of society.
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