The Cinematic Spectacle of Dharamshala’s International Film Festival

Over a four-day period in November, cinema lovers and artists from all over the globe assemble in the snow-capped hamlet of Dharamshala. The Dharamshala International Film Festival is a joyful experience in which they unite to commemorate independent cinema. Developing a local framework for interacting with and engaging with cinema is the goal of the Dharamshala International Film Festival. Therefore, we are presenting readers to the cinematic spectacle of Dharamshala’s International Film Festival. Additionally, if you are seeking cheap flight tickets to India from Canada, make sure to check out the best travel website Tripbeam.

Introductory Details About the Dharamshala Film Fest

The longtime residents of Dharamshala, Ritu Sarin, and Tenzing Sonam, are a husband and wife team of filmmakers who founded DIFF to give their community an alternative to commercial films. Beyond the founders, there’s a large team behind the festival, made up of roughly 100 volunteers. Although it appeared that most of the attendees and participants were Indian and Tibetan, we did notice a few Westerners verifying wristbands.

According to the festival’s stated goal of “bringing alternative cinema to the mountains,” it has more than achieved.

Festival Venue

But why the mountains? Travelers hailing from all over India and the globe select Dharamshala as an essential destination due to its cultural and spiritual hub status.

The Dalai Lama was brought by India to Dharamshala, where he has resided for almost sixty years since his forcible departure from Tibet in 1959. Currently headquartered there is the legitimately elected Tibetan government-in-exile, which was established after thousands of other Tibetans left. It is crucial to bear in mind that the Tibetan government complex and the festival are located in McLeod Ganj, the smaller town that travelers usually mention when they speak of “Dharamshala.”. It’s situated just up a mountain from Dharamshala proper.

Now home to a mixed Indian and Tibetan population alongside Hindu, Buddhist, and Muslim residents, the McLeod Ganj district exudes a very different vibe from most other parts of India. Yoga, meditation, and other spiritual and wellness-related activities have grown quite popular in the area, and the Dalai Lama’s temple welcomes hundreds of visitors each month. Whether or not you happen to be at McLeod Ganj during DIFF, there are tons of incredible places to explore, such as markets, temples, and hiking trails. Furthermore, if you’re looking for the cheapest airline tickets from the US to India, look no further than Tripbeam.com.

In 2019, the Tibetan Institute for Performing Arts (TIPA), a stunning venue a short hike from the town, hosted DIFF’s events instead of its usual many locations in McLeod Ganj. TIPA not only opened its theater in time for the festival opening but also set up a huge inflatable theater outside, giving the impression that people were watching a movie inside a gigantic inflatable playhouse.

Movies Presented at the 2019 Festival

DIFF screens only independent films from all across India and the world, including narratives and documentaries. This year, it released approximately thirty short films and twenty-five feature-length films, with around a third originating from India, while the rest came from Portugal, Macedonia, Iran, Peru, Japan, Cambodia, and other places.

This suggests that theaters screened films in at least six Indian languages and over twenty other languages, accompanied by English subtitles. People from all across India widely use English as a lingua franca, speaking it extensively. The distinct dialect spoken in India added another layer of authenticity to the subtitles on Indian films, typically targeting Western audiences.

There are no prizes since, in contrast to many other festivals, DIFF presents itself as a celebration of film rather than a competition. This year, the Gender Sensitivity Award recognized a film, Yeh Freedom Life, for the first time. The film stood out by portraying identity, gender, and sexuality outside of the heteronormative spectrum, while setting a remarkable new tone in Delhi.

Women directed more than one-third of the feature-length films presented during the festival, a notable finding despite not achieving gender parity.

So when are you going to explore the visual extravaganza of the International Film Festival in Dharamshala? Remember, you can browse the best travel website Tripbeam anytime to book affordable flight tickets to India from Vancouver.

Also read: Discover India Through Film: The Glamour of Bollywood Tourism