IFFI 2025: IFFIESTA to feature classical, contemporary cultural performances in film festival
Panaji, November 15
The International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will expand its cultural programming this year with IFFIESTA 2025, a four-day music and performance showcase presented by Doordarshan.
Scheduled from November 21 to 24, the event will take place daily from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM at the Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Auditorium in Goa, adding a focused live-arts segment to IFFI's lineup.
Curated under WAVES Culturals & Concerts and presented in association with Saregama, MJ Films, and Dilli Gharana, IFFIESTA will bring together a range of classical, contemporary, and youth-driven performances.
Each evening will feature a celebrity host, with Saregama presenting special artist showcases.
Doordarshan Sahyadri shared the announcement of IFFIESTA 2025 at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) on their Instagram handle today.
https://www.instagram.com/p/DRETrHmijSi/?hl=en
According to the press note shared by the organisers, the festival will open on November 21 with Osho Jain Live in Concert, the only ticketed event of the series, available via District by Zomato.
From November 22 to 24, the festival will shift into free-entry programming. It will present the Battle of Bands featuring Indian and international groups, the talent showcase Suron Ka Eklavya, and the vocal platform Waah Ustad, according to the press note.
On November 23, the lineup will also include a special presentation of Devanchal ki Prem Katha.
Scheduled to take place from November 20 to 28, IFFI 2025 will feature over 240 films from 81 countries.
This year's IFFI will feature 13 world premieres, four international premieres, and 46 Asian premieres. Organisers said they received a record 2,314 film submissions from 127 countries.
The festival will conclude with a special ceremony honouring Rajinikanth's remarkable 50-year journey in Indian cinema.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Great to see free entry for most events! Makes it accessible for students and young film enthusiasts. Hope they maintain the quality though - sometimes free events get overcrowded and chaotic.
As someone who attended IFFI last year, this is a welcome addition. The festival needed more evening entertainment options. Looking forward to the Battle of Bands - hope they include some good indie groups!
Suron Ka Eklavya and Waah Ustad - finally giving platform to classical music talents! 🇮🇳 Our traditional arts need this kind of exposure at international platforms. Hope they broadcast this on Doordarshan for wider reach.
The timing 6-8 PM is perfect - gives people time to attend film screenings during the day and enjoy cultural performances in the evening. Smart scheduling by the organizers!
While I appreciate the cultural additions, I hope this doesn't dilute the focus on films. IFFI should primarily remain a film festival. The balance needs to be right between cinema and other performances.
Osho Jain concert as the only ticketed event makes sense - helps generate some revenue. And booking through Zomato is so convenient! Already planning my Goa trip for this 🎶
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