Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Oct. 19: The 14th edition of Tibet Film Festival India will showcase contemporary Tibetan cinema, emerging filmmakers and stories of identity, migration and exile from October 26 to 28, with screenings and discussions at Sarah College for Higher Tibetan Studies and Barako Cafe in Dharamshala.
Speaking to Phayul, Jyotsna Sara George, a festival coordinator and co-organiser of Tibet Film Festival India, said this year’s programme would feature a short film competition, a special panel discussion on emerging Tibetan filmmakers, a documentary on the early years of Tibetan exile and community events exploring creative expression and identity.
The festival will open on October 26 with the premiere of My Sweet Pala (2025), a short film directed by Japanese actress and model Tao Okamoto. The film follows a Tibetan-American family in the United States, exploring the immigrant experience and the complexities of preserving cultural identity in the diaspora.
Jyotsna told Phayul that this year’s festival would feature a short film competition with five entries, including two from India and one each from the UK, Canada and France. Among the participating filmmakers are Tenzin Lhadon and Sherab Wangmo, who have been working to nurture film appreciation and community-led cinema initiatives in Ladakh.
Both filmmakers will participate in a panel discussion on contemporary and emerging Tibetan filmmakers on October 27, alongside Dharamshala-based writer, translator and filmmaker Kunchok Rabten. His debut short film, A Phone Call(2025), jointly won last year’s USD 3,000 Yak Prize jury award. He is currently working on his next film, The Goldfish of Norbulingka. The panel will also feature Jamyang Phuntsok, a fellow of the Drung Filmmakers Collective’s mentorship programme, who has made two short films, Watermill (2024) and Persimmon (2026).
Jyotsna said the decision to bring Lhadon and Wangmo to Dharamshala was deliberate, given the limited representation of women in Tibetan cinema, particularly in India. Their efforts to cultivate a Tibetan filmmaking community in Ladakh, she said, deserve greater visibility and opportunities to connect with creative networks in Dharamshala, a major centre of Tibetan cultural and artistic activity in exile.
“We intentionally decided to bring them down so that they can show their work, engage with audiences, participate in conversations and connect with Tibetan creatives in Dharamshala,” she said.
The festival will also present Tibetan Shorts Panorama on October 27, featuring five short films spanning animation, drama and other storytelling forms. The selection includes two films from Tibet and three from the Tibetan exile diaspora, highlighting the diversity of voices and visual styles shaping contemporary Tibetan cinema.
The programme comprises A Phone Call (2025) by Kunchok Rabten; Memories of Monsoon (2022) by Dolker Angotsang, Manfei Li and Pimonwan Poli; Origins (2022) by Loren; The Hunter and the Skeleton (2012) by Gentsu Gyatso; and Watermill (Chuthag, 2024) by Jamyang Phuntsok.
The day will conclude with the festival’s closing film, Far From Home (2026), directed by Kristi Tethong. The documentary revisits the early years of Tibetan exile through the experiences of elders who established the Tibetan refugee settlement in Mundgod, Karnataka. The documentary features archival footage of early Tibetan refugees arriving in India and establishing a settlement amid the jungles of Mundgod, alongside footage of the Dalai Lama. Jhola Techung, who contributed his voice to the film, will perform with his band before the screening.
The festival will extend its programme to McLeod Ganj on October 28 with a zine-making workshop and a screening of Normal People (2024) at Barako Cafe in McLeod Ganj, offering events for audiences who may find it difficult to travel to Sarah College.
The workshop will be facilitated by Lobsang Soepa, a Tibetan comic-book artist, illustrator and muralist from Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh. Participants will be guided in creating pocket-sized zines, using visual storytelling and personal expression to develop their own small publications.
The workshop will be followed by Normal People, a short film made by Tenzin Lhadon from Ladakh in collaboration with the Delhi-based Chisem Foundation. The film explores identity, gender and sexuality among Tibetan youth, addressing sensitive subjects through personal storytelling. Lhamo Choedon, a member of the Chisem Foundation, will join the screening and discussion. The foundation works to encourage conversations about mental health and social stigma within the Tibetan community. The film and zine-making workshop will also feature in the programme at Sarah College.
Through its short film competition, filmmaker discussions, documentary screenings and community workshops, the 14th edition of Tibet Film Festival India aims to broaden the reach of Tibetan cinema, encourage creative exchange and provide greater visibility to filmmakers telling stories from Tibet and the diaspora.
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