First edition of Pondicherry International Film Festival begins

Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy. (File Photo: IANS)


Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy on Wednesday inaugurated the first edition of the Pondicherry International Film Festival (PIFF). It was followed by the screening of the National Award-winning Tamil film “To Let” by director Chezhiyan.

PIFF’s Festival Director Saibal Chatterjee and Abhishek Sinha, Founder and CEO, Pickurflick, made the announcement at Alliance française de Pondichérry.

PIFF will conclude on September 30.

“It is the first international film festival in Puducherry and I am proud of it. I wish the organising team success in the years to come. We want to assimilate different culture, ideology, caste, age and we believe all people are equal. Therefore, we heartily accept whatever is good for the development of our state,” Narayanasamy said in a statement.

Feature films, short films, documentaries, animation, and award-winning films like “What Will People Say”, starring Adil Hussain, “Mayurakshi” by Atanu Ghosh, “Reservation” by Nikhil Manjoo and “Paddayi” by Abhaya Simha will be screened as part of the festival.

“With an exciting and diverse array of films, it will be a treat for all the cinephiles in Pondicherry and we hope to make it an annual affair,” said Sinha.

The aim of PIFF is to offer a platform to showcase the best of independent cinema from across the globe.