Pondicherry International Film Festival

The Pondicherry International Film Festival (PIFF) is a film festival for international independent films. It was started in 2017 by the streaming platform Pickurflick and the Puducherry Tourism agency.[1][2][3]

History

The inaugural event received more than 550 films from 50 countries. 170 films were selected. Screenings were held at Bangalore & Delhi from March to May 2017 with awards given across 12 categories. Pondicherry International Film Festival is an IMDb-qualifying event and has been rated amongst the top unconventional film festivals in India.[4]

PIFF-2018 took place from 26 to 30 September 2018 at Alliance Francaise Pondicherry and other venues. It would showcase 100 films from over 25 countries.[5] It will include panel discussions, open forums, and master classes. Besides film screenings, the five-day film festival will also conduct art, culture exhibition, food festival and music concerts to celebrate art, entertainment and travel in Puducherry, which was a French colony. The focus would be on French cinema, art, and culture; independent Tamil cinema; and independent regional cinema. The festival is organised by Pickurflick,[6] a global distribution platform for indie filmmakers. It is supported by the Puducherry Tourism Department.[7] Actor Adil Hussain is the brand ambassador. France is the partner country.[8]

2022 saw a return to physical screenings, expanding its scope to Southeast Asia and Africa, and introducing a competition category for women filmmakers.[9]

Festival committee

  • Abhishek Sinha - Founder & CEO

Award categories

  • Best Short Film
  • 1st Runner Up (Short Film)
  • Best Feature Film
  • Best Director (Feature)
  • Best Cinematography (Feature)
  • Best Screenplay (Feature)
  • Best Editing (Feature)
  • Best Documentary
  • 1st Runner Up (Documentary)
  • Best Animation Short
  • 1st Runner Up (Animation)

References

  1. ^ "Pondicherry International Film Festival announced". Business Standard India. 16 July 2018.
  2. ^ ANI News (18 July 2018). "Get ready for Pondicherry International Film Festival". ANI. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  3. ^ "International Film festival to be held in Puducherry | The Sunday Headlines". thesundayheadlines.in. Archived from the original on 20 August 2018.
  4. ^ "PIFF 2018: Documentary on Satyajit Ray's Feluda, A Thousand Kisses among films to watch on Day 5". Firstpost. 29 September 2018. Retrieved 26 January 2024.
  5. ^ "Pondicherry International Film Festival announced". 16 July 2018.
  6. ^ http://pickurflick.com
  7. ^ "Pondicherry International Film Festival to showcase more than 100 films; starts September 26".
  8. ^ "2nd Pondicherry International Film Festival 2019". FilmFreeway. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  9. ^ Service, Express News (4 August 2023). "Pondy International documentary, short film fest from August 4". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 26 January 2024.