Head To The Dharamshala Film Festival For Movies & Crisp Mountain Air

The 7th edition of the well-loved Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) is happening from November 1–4 and promises the usual (but exciting) mix of cinema, art, conversations, nature and creative camaraderie.Its intention is to promote art as much as the sleepy town of Dharamshala itself, both of which come to life with filmmakers talking alternative cinema, movie buffs participating in workshops and just discussing independent cinema in fascinating detail. Truth be told, we have to agree with The Asian Age when it calls DIFF the 'Sundance Of India'.

Call it a blessing in disguise, but Dharamshala has none of those swanky multiplexes where the who’s-who eats gourmet popcorn and discusses art films. They have but a quaint festival venue which doubles up as a Tibetan Children’s Village School that’s a 10-min walk through a forest. Everything about this unconventional venue is sweet and ripe with good vibes — it’s also next to Dolma Ling Nunnery… So fitting considering it’s a movie fest in the hills, no?Last year, the festival saw 6,000 people who made it to DIFF. If this doesn’t give you the sense of magnitude and value this holds, check this out: Bollywood heavyweights including Naseeruddin Shah, Konkona Sen Sharma, Hansal Mehta and Adil Hussain have all supported this initiative.

The festival passes will be out at BookMyShow soon. If you’re keen on volunteering, the applications will open in September (see here).Download the map of Dharamshala so you’re also exploring the best momo haunts, bookshops, and souvenir hideouts when you’re there.