Dharamshala, once a sleepy town in the foothills of the North Indian Himalaya, is now a global destination, the exile home of the Dalai Lama, the capital of the Tibetan diaspora, and more recently, an international cricket venue. All year round, thousands of visitors from all over India and around the world clog its narrow streets, drawn by the beauty of its mountain setting and its curious mix of Gaddi, Tibetan and international cultures. Crowded with multi-cuisince restaurants, cafes, bookshops and video parlours, Dharamshala exudes a cosmopolitanism that belies its size.

As filmmakers based in Dharamshala, Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam of White Crane Films, have long believed that the town’s unusual profile would make it a perfect destination for an international film festival. The inaugural edition of DIFF, held in November 2012, showcased 26 contemporary features, documentaries and shorts, curated from the best of international independent cinema. The festival drew over 5,000 film lovers from across India, and over a dozen Indian and international filmmakers attended, introducing their films and taking part in question and answer sessions, panel discussions and masterclasses.

The second Dharamshala International Film Festival will take place over four days in 2013, from 24 to 27 October. The aim is to build and expand on the blueprint of the first edition and establish DIFF as a world-class film festival where filmmakers and film lovers can interact in an intimate, creative and informal way. Showcasing the best of recent Indian and world cinema, both fiction and documentary, the second edition of DIFF will continue to create a cultural space for the local population, while building on attracting greater audiences and further promoting film as a medium to foster understanding and transform perceptions.