The Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) was started in 2012 by Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam—award-winning filmmakers, and long-term Dharamshala residents. Their aim was to establish a world-class film festival that would expose local audiences to meaningful independent cinema, promote and encourage regional filmmaking talent, and provide a forum where independent filmmakers and film-lovers could interact in an informal and caring atmosphere.

Held annually in McLeod Ganj, a town with no cinemas, the festival has managed to carve out a special niche for itself in the Indian film festival landscape over the past eight years. Drawn by its eclectic and adventurous programming, its beautiful mountain setting, and its intimate and cinema-literate atmosphere, filmmakers and film buffs alike consider it to be one of India’s best independent film festivals.

Due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, the 9th edition of DIFF is being held online from 29 October to 4 November 2020. More than 100 films from 40 countries are being screened, along with a wide range of panel discussions, conversations and Q&As with filmmakers. For the first time, DIFF is accessible to audiences across South Asia and, in some cases, the rest of the world.
https://diff.co.in/