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 unconventionalfilm festivals in India.[4]
PIFF-2018 took place from 26 to 30 September 2018 at Alliance FrancaisePondicherry 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]
