Dharamshala Film Festival: Busan Winner to Close 15th Edition

Shashank Walia’s debut feature, “Birds in the Dark,” will conclude the 15th Dharamshala International Film Festival. The film, which examines a call center executive mistaken for a suspect by a police informer, secures its India premiere for the closing night. It previously collected two prizes at the Busan International Film Festival earlier this month.

The festival operates from October 29 to November 1 at Tibetan Children’s Village in Upper Dharamshala. Rima Das’ “Not a Hero” initiates the schedule with its South Asia premiere. Other confirmed titles include Óliver Laxe’s “Sirāt,” Shaunak Sen’s “Termite,” and Gurvinder Singh’s “Rehmat.” “Termite” marks its Asia premiere at the event, while “Rehmat” receives its India premiere.

Newly added works include Mehrdad Oskouei’s “A Fox Under a Pink Moon.” Created with Afghan artist Soraya Akhlaghi, the film documents her efforts to reach her mother in Austria. Paromita Vohra’s “Working Girls” examines often unseen labor performed by women across India. Yashasvi Juyal’s “The Ink Stained Hand and The Missing Thumb” presents a South Asia premiere, set at a remote toll booth in northern India where grief disrupts routine.

Ridham Janve’s “Hunter’s Moon” is set in the Upper Dhauladhar range. The shorts program features the world premiere of Aastha Tiku’s “Dreamboat.” It also includes Arun Fulara’s “Hudke ki Pyaang Pyaang” and Varun Grover’s “Damned.”

Bina Paul, the festival’s director of programming, stated that the organization seeks distinctive voices and boundary-pushing filmmaking. She noted that this approach has built a program diverse in geography and subject matter while maintaining a commitment to independent cinema.

Beyond screenings, the Himalayan Film Fellows initiative, supported by Arthshila, works with seven filmmakers from the Indian Himalayan Region on their first or second fiction features. Mentors for this program include Dechen Roder, Umesh Kulkarni, and Dominic Sangma. The festival, in partnership with Royal Enfield Social Mission, is completing 24 community screenings across Kangra. These venues include schools, nunneries, and the district jail.

Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam launched the festival in 2012. They described the event as a space for communal film experiences where filmmakers and audiences can interact beyond the screening room. They expressed excitement for the 15th edition, noting that the founding spirit remains central to the organization.