The four-day festival in Dharamshala which is organised by Ritu Sarin and Tenzin Sonam, promises to bring the best of recent Indian and world cinema, both in fiction and documentary.
"The festival is truly a celebration of art. After taking 'Shahid' to so many film festivals last year I realised that DIFF was a real festival in true spirits. There was no rushing to movie markets, selling and buying of movies but purely focusing on art. I am going back this year," said Hansal Mehta whose movie 'Shahid' opened the festival last year.
Other movies to be screened in India for the first are Polish filmmaker Jacek Borcuch's 'Lasting', Australian director Kate Shortland's 'Lore', British sci-fi feature 'Piercing Brightness' and Japanese martial art extravaganza 'Boshido Man'.
This year the focus is also on Indian documentaries with strong social concerns and so documentaries and films like Anand Patwardhan's 'Jai Bhim Comrade', Nagraj Popatrao Manjule's 'Fandry', 'Menstrual Man' and Q's 'Tasher Desh' will also be screened.
The organisers have also brought in leading international artists' films which are rarely seen outside the gallery space in collaboration with Vienna-based Thyssen-Bornemisza Art Contemporary Foundation to the festival this year.
Recent short films from India, curated by marathi director Umesh Kulkarni, are also a part of the event.
DIFF also plans to feature master classes, panel discussions and Q&A sessions with the audience this year.