Dharamshala film fest to start Oct 30

The third edition of Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) will kick off Oct 30. One of the highlights of the fest will be an animation workshop by filmmaker Gitanjali Rao, who will also present her new film, "True Love Story", which was shown at Cannes critics' week.

The four-day event will take place in McLeodganj in Himachal Pradesh and will be a key destination for independent filmmakers and film lovers from across India and around the world.

According to a statement released by festival directors Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam, this year's highlights include an animation workshop by India's best known animation filmmaker Gitanjali Rao, who will also present her new film, "True Love Story", and curate a selection of animation films from around the world.

Filmmaker Umesh Kulkarni will continue his special relationship with DIFF by curating a package of the best short films.

DIFF 2014 has also initiated the DIFF Film Fellows Programme, where five up and coming filmmakers from the Indian Himalayan regions will be selected and brought to DIFF to watch films, participate in the masterclasses and workshops, and have one-on-one mentorship sessions with visiting filmmakers.