23rd Pune International Film Festival to be held between 13 to 20 February
23rd Pune International Film Festival to be held between 13 to 20 February
Pune, January 2, 2025:  The 23rd edition of the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) will be held from February 13 to 20, 2025. The announcement was made by Dr. Jabbar Patel, the director of PIFF in a press conference. More than 150 films from 81 countries will be screened in this festival organised jointly by Pune Film Foundation and Cultural Department of Government of Maharashtra in association with Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari Mumbai.
Chairman of Film Selection Committee Samar Nakhate, Trustee Dr. Mohan Agashe, Trustee Dr. Satish Alekar, Member of the Film Selection Committee Abhijeet Ranadive, Deputy Director Vishal
Shinde (Programme and Film), Deputy Director Aditi Akkalkotkar (International Communication and Coordination) were also present on the occasion. The theme of this year’s film festival is’ Hundredth Birth Anniversary of Showman Raj Kapoor’ and the symbol of the theme was also released on the occasion.
150 Films as part of the festival will be screened on 11 screens at PVR Icon (6 screens) in Pavilion Mall on Senapati Bapat Road, Inox (3 screens) in Camp and Cinepolis cinema (2 screens) at Westend Mall in Aundh.
Dr. Jabbar Patel said that this year, 1059 films from 107 countries had sent entries to PIFF and more than 150 of them have been selected for the festival.
The online registration process for the festival will start from Wednesday, January 15 on the official website of the festival www.piffindia.com and the spot registration process at theatres will start from 3 February 2025. The registration fee for the entire festival is just Rs. 800 for everyone.
An international jury will adjudicate the 14 finalist films to select the best international film, which will be honored with the prestigious ‘Maharashtra Govt Sant Tukaram Best International Film Award,’ accompanied by a prize of ₹10 lakhs, at the festival’s closing ceremony.
 The following is the list of the 14 films selected for this year’s World Cinema Competition section:
- 1. Darkest Miriam, Director – Naomi Jaye, Canada
- 2. On the Invention of Spieces, Director – Tania Hermida, Ecuador, Cuba
- 3. To A Land Unknown, Director – Mahdi Fleifel, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Netherlands, Greece, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Palestine
- 4. Grand Tour, Director – Miguel Gomes, Portugal, Italy, France
- 5. Armand, Director – Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel, Norway, Netherlands, Germany, Sweden
- 6. Sex, Director – Dag Johan Haugerud, Norway
- 7. Electric Fields, Director – Lisa Gertsch, Switzerland
- 8. Under the Volcano, Director – Damian Kocur, Poland
- 9. A Traveler’s Needs, Director – Hong Sangsoo, South Korea
- 10. Black Tea, Director – Abderrahmane Sissako, France, Mauritania, Luxembourg, Taiwan, Ivory Coast
- 11. Some Rain Must Fall, Director – Yang Qiu, China, USA, France, Singapore
- 12. April, Director – Dea Kulumbegashvili, France, Italy, Georgia
- 13. Three Kilometres to the End of the World, Director – Emanuel Parvu, Romania
- 14. In Retreat, Director – Maisam Ali, India
Photo Caption: Senior film director and chairman of Pune Film Foundation Dr. Jabbar Patel and senior film critic and chairman of film selection committee Samar Nakhate at Press Conference 23rd Pune International Film Festival.
