It is going to be a celebration of cinema at the 12th edition of Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) as the movie gala is set to screen some of the most awaited and acclaimed films, including actor Manoj Bajpayee's drama Joram and writer-lyricist Varun Grover's slice of life dramedy All India Rank.
This year, DIFF has moved its screening location and will now be held at Tibetan Children’s Village in Upper Dharamshala from November 4 to. November 7.
While Varun Grover's directorial debut All India Rank will be the opening film, Manoj Bajpayee's Joram will close the festival. The film has been helmed by Devashish Makhija, who previously directed Bajpayee in the award-winning drama Bhonsle.
At the venue, mobile theatre company PictureTime has provided two state-of-the-art inflatable screening halls as well as equipped two on-site auditoriums with 2K projection systems and 5.1 Dolby surround sound for an immersive movie-watching experience in the foothills of the Himalayas.
The theatre company had recently also undertaken the logistics of mounting The Himalayan Film Festival in Ladakh, at an altitude of more than 11,000 ft.
Talking about his partnering with DIFF, Sushil Chaudhary, Founder, of PictureTime Digiplex, said the aim for this year's edition is to provide viewers with an unforgettable movie-watching experience.
"PictureTime has joined forces with DIFF to offer filmmakers, delegates, and cinema enthusiasts an experience akin to a big-screen theatre. Our collaboration is flourishing, and this year we’ve expanded to include four auditoriums equipped with an immersive viewing environment, three of which boast DCI-compliant screens. With each passing year, the festival’s growth is evident, and we take pride in being a contributing partner," Sushil said in a statement.
Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam, Founders and Festival Directors, said DIFF is delighted to collaborate with PictureTime Digiplex yet again as they now gear up to scale the prestigious movie event to unprecedented heights.
"Their revolutionary mobile cinemas have taken cinema to India’s rural and remote heartlands while maintaining high technical standards. Not only has PictureTime provided two state-of-the-art screening halls at Tibetan Children’s Village, DIFF’s official venue for 2023, but also equipped two on-site auditoriums with 2K projection systems and 5.1 Dolby surround sound for an immersive viewing experience. Strengthening this longtime partnership, PictureTime Founder and CEO Sushil Chaudhary is a member of DIFF’s Board of Directors in 2023," they said in a joint statement.
DIFF will showcase a total of 92 films from 40+ countries, including 31 feature narratives, 21 feature documentaries, and 40 short films.
Other festival favourite titles include the world premiere of Bottle Radha, produced by Pa. Ranjith and directed by Dhinakaran Sivalingam, Tora's Husband by filmmaker Rima Das, Achal Mishra's Ri, Aamir Bashir-directed The Winter Within and While We Watched by Vinay Shukla.
In addition to the film screenings, the festival will also feature panel discussions and masterclasses with industry experts and filmmakers.
