Pondicherry International Film Festival Explained

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 26th to 30th 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)

External links

• PIFF website

Notes and References

1. News: 16 July 2018 . Pondicherry International Film Festival announced . Business Standard India.
2. Web site: ANI News . 18 July 2018 . Get ready for Pondicherry International Film Festival . 26 January 2024 . ANI.
3. Web site: International Film festival to be held in Puducherry The Sunday Headlines . thesundayheadlines.in . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180820235220/http://thesundayheadlines.in/international-film-festival-to-be-held-in-puducherry/ . 2018-08-20.
4. Web site: 2018-09-29 . PIFF 2018: Documentary on Satyajit Ray's Feluda, A Thousand Kisses among films to watch on Day 5-Entertainment News, Firstpost . 2024-01-26 . Firstpost . en.
5. Web site: Pondicherry International Film Festival announced. 16 July 2018.
6. http://pickurflick.com
7. Web site: Pondicherry International Film Festival to showcase more than 100 films; starts September 26.
8. Web site: 2nd Pondicherry International Film Festival 2019 . 2022-11-12 . FilmFreeway . en.
9. Web site: Service . Express News . 2023-08-04 . Pondy International documentary, short film fest from August 4 . 2024-01-26 . The New Indian Express . en.