DIFF’s 14th edition is being held between October 30 and November 02, 2025.
It is taking place at the Tibetan Children’s Village, in McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala.
DIFF is unique in that it provides a platform to filmmakers who don’t often get to show their work elsewhere.
The Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) is back with a bang, with an incredible lineup of global cinema. DIFF’s 14th edition is being held between October 30 and November 02, 2025 at the Tibetan Children’s Village, in McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala.
DIFF has firmly established itself as a leading film festival in India that brings together voices from across the globe, while nurturing local South Asian voices. The festival also has an easy-going, indie vibe about it, which is only alleviated by the atmosphere of the hills. Filmmakers and actors of the highest repute can be seen conversing with film enthusiasts. DIFF is unique in that it provides a platform to filmmakers who don’t often get to show their work elsewhere. There’s an entire section of films categorised as “made by young adults” in an attempt to nurture and promote young talent.
Choosing from its wide-ranging vibrant catalogue, here are the ten must-watch films to catch at the festival:
1. Sabar Bonda | Cactus Pears (Dir. Rohan Parashuram Kanawade, 2025)
When: Friday, October 31 | 3:30 PM
Where: Hermann Gmeiner Hall
Set in rural Maharashtra, it follows Anand, a city man who returns to his ancestral village for a 10-day mourning period after his father’s death and rekindles a deep bond with his childhood friend Balya. Their quiet, emotional connection blossoms into a tender romance, portrayed with restraint and realism. The film has already won several accolades such as the Grand Jury Prize: World Cinema Dramatic at the Sundance Film Festival 2025 and the Audience Choice Award for Best Feature at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles 2025.
2. Full Plate (Dir. Tannishtha Chatterjee, 2025)
When: Saturday, November 1 | 12:45 PM
Where: Hermann Gmeiner Hall
Full Plate follows Amreen, a Muslim homemaker, whose life changes after her husband’s accident, forcing her to step out of traditional boundaries to support her family. Through her love for cooking, she rediscovers courage, independence, and hope amid societal prejudice. The film, whose India Premiere will be held here at DIFF 2025, stars Kirti Kulhari, Sharib Hashmi, and Indraneil Sengupta in lead roles.
3. The Well | Bhaavi (Dir. Balaji Maheshwar, 2025)
When: Saturday, November 1 | 10:45 AM
Where: PICTURETIME 2 (Football Ground)
Set in the tribal village of Solaganai in the Erode district of Tamil Nadu, the film follows the restoration of a centuries-old buried well, which becomes a lifeline for the indigenous Solagar community who trek miles every summer for water.
The Well is a meditative, observational portrait of resilience, ecology, and indigenous know-how of surviving harsh terrain.
4. Lesbian Space Princess (Dir. Leela Varghese and Emma Hough Hobbs, 2024)
When: Saturday, November 1 | 1:00PM
Where: PICTURETIME 2 (Football Ground)
Lesbian Space Princess is a 2025 Australian animated sci-fi comedy that follows Princess Saira of planet Clitopolis, who must rescue her ex-girlfriend Kiki from the “Straight White Maliens.” To succeed, she must summon her mystical labrys, a symbol of lesbian power, and discover her own strength and self-love. Blending irreverent humour, vivid animation, and queer empowerment, the film celebrates identity, love, and acceptance. The film won the Teddy Award for Best Feature Film at the Berlinale 2025.
5. Homebound (Dir. Neeraj Ghaywan, 2025)
When: Thursday, October 30 | 5:00 and 6:00 PM
Where: Hermann Gmeiner Hall (at 5 PM), PICTURETIME 2 (Football Ground) and PICTURETIME 1 (Basketball Court) (at 6 PM)
Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa-starrer Homebound, directed by Neeraj Ghaywan, doesn’t need much introduction. Inspired by Basharat Peer’s New York Times article on migrant workers during the COVID-19 lockdown, the film follows two childhood friends, whose dream of joining the police force is tested by caste, religion, and systemic inequality. Set in rural northern India, the film explores ambition, friendship, and resilience with emotional realism.
Homebound received a nine-minute standing ovation at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival and was later chosen as India’s official entry for the 2026 Academy Awards.
6. Happyend (Dir. Neo Sora, 2024)
When: Sunday, November 2 | 3:30 PM
Where: PICTURETIME 2 (Football Ground)
Happyend is a 2024 Japanese‑American drama film set in a near‑future Tokyo beset by repeated earthquakes and shifting political tides. The story follows two best friends, Yuta and Kou, in their final year of high school. After a prank on their principal triggers installation of an advanced surveillance system at school, their diverging responses force them to confront differences they had long ignored. The film won the New Talent Award at the Hong Kong Asian Film Festival 2024.
7. CycleMahesh (Dir. Suhel Banerjee, 2024)
When: Friday, October 31 | 11:00AM
Where: PICTURETIME 2 (Football Ground)
CycleMahesh is a 2024 Indian hybrid‑documentary that tells the real-life story of Mahesh, a 22-year-old migrant worker who cycled 1,700 km from Maharashtra to Odisha during India’s COVID‑19 lockdown. The film blends documentary and fiction through reenactments, multiple actors portraying Mahesh, and self-reflexive footage of the crew documenting his journey. Premiering at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), it won the Best First Feature award, highlighting the resilience, struggles, and dreams of India’s migrant workers.
8. In Hell With Ivo (Dir. Kristina Nikolova, 2025)
When: Saturday, November 1 | 10:30 AM
Where: PICTURETIME 1 (Basketball Court)
In Hell With Ivo is a 2025 Bulgarian‑American documentary, focusing on queer performance artist and musician Ivo Dimchev. The film explores Ivo’s life as an HIV‑positive artist navigating the conservative Bulgarian society, social prejudice, and the challenges of radical self-expression. Through intimate home concerts, interviews, and a direct‑cinema style, it captures his struggle for identity, acceptance, and artistic freedom during the COVID‑19 lockdowns. Premiering at multiple international festivals, it has won awards including the jury prize at the Doc ’n’ Rhythm festival, earning global recognition for its raw, personal storytelling.
9. Songs of Forgotten Trees (Dir. Anuparna Roy, 2025)
When: Saturday, November 2 | 5:00 PM
Where: Hermann Gmeiner Hall
Songs of Forgotten Trees is the debut feature film by writer‑director Anuparna Roy. Set in Mumbai, it follows Thooya, an aspiring actress who survives the city through beauty, charm and uneasy compromises. She sublets her sugar daddy’s flat to Swetha, a corporate migrant worker, and slowly a quiet intimacy emerges between them as they share space, silences and personal wounds.
The film premiered in the Orizzonti section of the Venice International Film Festival 2025 and Roy became the first Indian director to win the Best Director award in that category.
10. Secret of a Mountain Serpent (Dir. Nidhi Saxena, 2025)
When: Saturday, November 1 | 3:30 PM
Where: PICTURETIME 2 (Football Ground)
Adil Hussain-starrer Secret of a Mountain Serpent is an Indian‑Italian‑Sri Lankan co‑production directed by Nidhi Saxena. Set during the 1999 Kargil War in a remote Himalayan town sparsely populated by men, the film focuses on Barkha, a schoolteacher whose quiet life is disrupted by the arrival of a mysterious outsider, Manik Guho.
The film premiered at the Venice International Film Festival 2025 and won the New Voice Award at the Bangkok International Film Festival 2025.
