Actors Biswajit Chatterjee, Farida Jalal, Asha Kale to be honoured at Pune International Film Festival

“The winners this year represent the golden era of Indian cinema and the creative vitality of music that continues to inspire new generations,” Dr Patel told reporters.

The 24th edition of PIFF, jointly organised by the Pune Film Foundation, the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Maharashtra, and Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari, will be held from January 15 to 22. The festival will open at E-Square Theatre with screenings scheduled across 10 venues in the city.

The competition segment of Marathi films, Marathi Cinema Today, will be a key attraction this year. Trustee Satish Alekar stated that seven films were shortlisted for the final round from over 100 submissions received. These include Adishesh by Ramesh More, Toh Ti Ani Fuji by Mohit Takalkar, Tighee by Jeejivisha Kale, Jeev by Ravindra Jadhav, Gondhal by Santosh Dawkhar, Gaman by Manoj Naiksatam, and Bappya by Sameer Tewari. The winning film, judged by an international jury, will receive the Marathi Best International Film Award and a ₹5 lakh cash prize sponsored by the state government.

Alekar added that several Marathi films, such as Sohla by Saikaat Bagbaan and Mukkampost Bombilwadi by Paresh Mokashi, Maya by Aditya Ingale, and Dwidha by Nilesh Naik, will be showcased in the non-competitive section.

Workshops and panel discussions will form another highlight of PIFF 2026, featuring international and Indian scholars and filmmakers. Key highlights include the Vijay Tendulkar Memorial Lecture by writer B Jeyamohan on adapting novels to screenplays, and talks by Serbian filmmaker Goran Radovanovic and Iranian director Alireza Shahrokhi.

A retrospective dedicated to masters Guru Dutt, V Shantaram, and V Damle is also planned. Invitations have been sent to political dignitaries, including Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, for the opening and closing ceremonies.

Interested cinephiles can register online at http://www.piffindia.com or through on-site counters starting January 5.

Dr Patel said, “This year’s PIFF celebrates cinema’s power to elevate culture and bridge generations, from the classics of Asha Kale and Biswajit Chatterjee to the fresh perspectives of new Marathi filmmakers”.

(Shreenija Dandavate, Rohit Yadav are interns with The Indian Express)