Indian Oscar contender 'Homebound' set to open Dharamshala Film Festival, full lineup announced

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], October 22 : Filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan's film 'Homebound', which was recently chosen as India's contender for the Oscars 2026, is now all set to open the upcoming edition of the Dharamshala International Film Festival.


The 14th edition will open with Ishaan Khatter and Vishal Jethwa-starrer 'Homebound' and close with Anuparna Roy's Venice prizewinner 'Songs of Forgotten Trees', as per Variety.

DIFF will take place from October 30 to November 2.
The festival continues its partnership with Sydney Film Festival, welcoming two Australian films and their filmmakers: Emma Hough Hobbs and Leela Varghese's queer sci-fi "Lesbian Space Princess" and Gabrielle Brady's "The Wolves Always Come at Night," Australia's Oscar submission.
Programming highlights include Bhutan's Oscar entry "I, The Song" by Dechen Roder; Rohan Parashuram Kanawade's Sundance Grand Jury Prize winner "Cactus Pears"; Rich Peppiatt's Irish-language "Kneecap"; and Raoul Peck's documentary "Orwell 2+2=5."
The lineup also features Spanish director Carla Simon's "Romeria"; Hlynur Palmason's Cannes entry "The Love That Remains"; Sara Khaki and Mohammadreza Eyni's "Cutting Through Rocks"; Prabhash Chandra's "Alaav"; Kunsang Kyirong's "100 Sunset"; and Tannishtha Chatterjee's Busan-debuting "Full Plate," starring Kirti Kulhari and Sharib Hashmi.
The festival will feature a masterclass by acclaimed filmmaker Kiran Rao. Actor Adil Hussain will also conduct a session on how performers can bring authenticity to their characters across diverse cultural contexts.
Speaking about the upcoming edition, festival Directors Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam said, "We never set out to become one of the most prominent independent festivals in the country. We simply believed that meaningful cinema deserved a home in the mountains.
"DIFF has grown organically over 14 years - not through flash or hype, but through the passion of filmmakers, the trust of our audiences, and the community that returns year after year. That's what makes it so meaningful," they added.
Programming director Bina Paul has curated a lineup that includes Andrey Tarkovsky's son, Andrey A Tarkovsky, presenting the documentary "Andrey Tarkovsky: A Cinema Prayer" in person, featuring rare archival footage of the legendary Russian filmmaker. He will talk about the work and legacy of his father.