Report: The 31st Kolkata International Film Festival

Spread over eight days, KIFF 2025. which featured more than 200 films, showcased restored classics, featured new talent and paid tribute to Ghatak

One of the many purposes of a film festival is to pay homage to legendary filmmakers and to keep their legacy alive. The Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF), which was held from November 6 to 13, 2025, did just that by putting the spotlight on the legendary Ritwik Ghatak on his 100th birth anniversary. Poland was the country in focus and more than 200 films from 39 countries were screened at jampacked venues including at the cultural hub, Nandan, and Nazrul Tirtha, among others.

Tribeny Rai’s debut film, Chhora Jastai (Shape of Momo), won the Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award for Best Film in the Indian Languages Competition at KIFF 2025 (KIFF)

Many restored films including Ghatak’s Meghe Dhaka Tara, Komal Gandhar and Subarnarekha drew great praise as did Bimal Roy’s restored classic Do Bigha Zamin. “The struggles of a farmer is relevant even today and the film, despite being several years old, has managed to strike a chord,” said Meghana, one of the many cinephiles who thronged the festival.

The KIFF also hosted many insightful lectures and Ramesh Sippy who delivered the Satyajit Ray Memorial Lecture exhorted aspiring filmmakers to stay positive. “There will be more cinema to come. Do not think that cinema is dead. It is very much alive. When that hit comes along, you wonder, where did that audience come from? They do come, they always come back when there is a good film,” he said.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at the inauguration of KIFF 2025 (Courtesy KIFF)

In this its 31st year, KIFF, in an attempt to explore migration, identity and the richness of lesser-known Indian languages, has introduced two new thematic sections - Beyond Borders and Unheard India. Films from the northeast, in particular, made their presence felt. Tribeny Rai’s Chhora Jastai (The Shape Of Momo), a moving account of Bishnu’s return to her Himalayan village only to be subjected to family pressures and social expectations, was adjudged the best film. Pradip Kurbah won best director for Ha Lyngkha Bneng (The Elysian Field) and Khanjan Kishore Nath’s Kangbo Aloti (The Lost Path) was the recipient of the special jury award.

A panel discussion on the impact of Northeastern films moderated by Bengali actor-producer-director Arindam Sil evoked insightful commentary from Assamese filmmaker Manju Borah, Meghalayan filmmaker Kurbah, Sikkimese filmmaker Rai, and Pausali Sengupta, an alumnus of the Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute. True to its tagline ‘Cinema connects the world’, KIFF also had its share of global delegates who lent the event an artistic and intellectual flavour from other parts of the world.

Movie buffs made a beeline for the screening of Palestine 36, which is also Palestine’s official entry for the 2026 Academy Awards in the International Feature Film category. The historical drama depicts the 1936-1939 uprising against British colonial rule in Palestine. Directed by Annemarie Jacir, the feature explores how the lives of Palestinians changed after the arrival of Jewish settlers. Another Palestinian film, Songe (Passing Dreams) by Rashid Masharawi also drew attention.

KIFF also had galleries dedicated to the doyens honoured at the festival, and music addas where singers like Nachiketa Chakraborty and Kabir Suman entertained audiences.

The closing ceremony hosted by actor-politician June Malia and actor-director Ujaan Ganguly saw chief minister Mamata Banerjee handing the Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award for Best Director in the International Competition to Lalith Rathnayake, director of the Sri Lankan film, Riverstone.

The Cuban film To the West in Zapata by David Bim was adjudged the Best Film while Croatian director Ivona Juka took home the Special Jury Award for Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day. The award for Best Indian Documentary was bagged by Joydeep Banerjee’s Bijoyee Japoner Patkatha and filmmaker Goutam Ghosh was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Nyingma...Through Her Eyes directed by Liton Paul won the Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award for the best Indian short film.

All in all, KIFF 2025 was an enjoyable and intellectually stimulating event.

(KV Vasudevan is a senior journalist covering arts and culture. He lives in Chennai.)