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Delhi to host its first 'Celebrating India Film Festival 2025'; prominent filmmakers to headline

Delhi to host its first 'Celebrating India Film Festival 2025'; prominent filmmakers to headline

Time of India04-08-2025
The national capital Delhi is all set to host its first major film festival, launching the 'Celebrating India Film Festival' in August this year. Coinciding with India's 78th Independence Day celebrations, the three-day event will be held at the NCUI Auditorium on Siri Fort Road.
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It is expected to witness multiple screenings, panel discussions, and performances, with the presence of prominent film personalities and political leaders.
To explore themes of environment, wildlife, tourism and more
The film festival is organised by Graphisads in association with the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), the Film Critics Guild (FCG), and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).
It will also explore themes of environment, wildlife, tourism, heritage, art, culture, spirituality, and patriotism.
As per the press release, National Award-winner
's 'India Lockdown', along with the 4K-restored versions of the 1981 classic 'Umrao Jaan' and Manoj Kumar's patriotic drama 'Kranti', will be screened at the festival. It will also witness the world premiere of the documentary, 'Aham Bharatam' by Bharatbala.
Three-time Grammy Award winner and Padma Shri recipient Ricky Kej will launch his new music video 'Gandhi - Mantra of Compassion'.
Bollywood playback singer Hema Sardesai is also scheduled for a live performance.
Besides interactive sessions with acclaimed filmmakers like R.S. Prasanna and Divy Nidhi Sharma (Sitaare Zameen Par), Sudipto Sengupta (The Kerala Story), Amit Rai, (Oh My God 2), and producer Gaurav Dhingra (Stolen), Bollywood actors like Pavan Malhotra, Geetanjali Mishra, Aastha Chaudhary, Hrishitaa Bhatt, and Hemant Pandey will also share their experiences in cinema and the OTT space.
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Other events expected at the festival are IGNCA's BD Garg Collection Vintage Poster Exhibition, a Film Critics Guild session on the legacy of Indian cinema, and a filmmaking masterclass conducted by the FTII team.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, Vidhan Sabha Adhyaksh Vijender Gupta, Delhi Cabinet Minister Kapil Mishra, Member of Parliament Manoj Tiwari, and former Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi are likely to attend the event.
The Celebrating India Film Festival 2025 (CIFF 2025) will be held from August 8 to 10, 2025.
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