Delhi set to host first international film festival from March 25

Delhi is set to host its first international film festival from March 25 to 31, with more than 140 films from 47 countries to be screened across multiple venues in the national capital.

The International Film Festival of Delhi (IFFD) 2026 will feature free public screenings, discussions, workshops and cultural programmes, according to a statement.

Several prominent figures from Indian and international cinema, including Vicky Kaushal, Hema Malini, Bhumi Pednekar, Rana Daggubati and Madhur Bhandarkar, are expected to participate in the week-long event.

The festival will open at Bharat Mandapam with a red carpet ceremony hosted by Arjun Kapoor and Nimrat Kaur. Actors Anupam Kher, Sanya Malhotra and Siddhant Chaturvedi will also attend the opening evening, which will include a gala screening of the Oscar-nominated film Sirat.

Screenings will be held at Bharat Mandapam, PVR-INOX theatres and other public venues across the city, with select shows also planned at outdoor locations and mobile screening units to widen access to cinema, the statement said.

International features, documentaries, short films, animation and restored classics will be showcased at this festival. As part of a special retrospective marking the birth centenary of filmmaker Guru Dutt, a restored 4K version of Pyaasa will be screened.

Selections from partner festivals, including the Singapore International Film Festival, will also be showcased, along with post-screening discussions and interactions with filmmakers.

The festival will host masterclasses and in-conversation sessions with film personalities, such as Manoj Bajpayee, Boman Irani, Imtiaz Ali and Shekhar Kapur, offering audiences an opportunity to engage directly with industry professionals.

Workshops focusing on filmmaking and storytelling will also be organised, it added.

An industry platform, IFFD CineXchange, will run alongside the public events, bringing together filmmakers, producers, distributors and OTT platforms through curated labs, co-production markets and project showcases.

Public registrations for the festival are now open, with entry to screenings and events subject to prior booking and venue capacity, the statement added.

The festival is organised by the Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation (DTTDC) in association with the Delhi government.