The Indo Dubai International Film Festival (IDIFF) successfully held its much-anticipated Annual Gala Event 2025 on February 21st and 22nd at Nazrul Tirtha in New Town, Kolkata. The two-day extravaganza received an overwhelming response, with over 200 esteemed guests attending. The festival brought together independent filmmakers, industry professionals, and film fans from all over the world to celebrate the art of storytelling through film.

In his address to the audience, Festival Curator Sumit Acharya proudly stated that this year’s IDIFF received over 600 outstanding film submissions from 50 countries. The United States had the most submissions, with 144, followed by India, Korea, Japan, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Norway, Germany, Russia, France, and Canada. Each submission featured distinct and powerful narratives, emphasizing the diverse voices of international filmmakers.

The honorable jury members selected 18 exceptional films to be awarded at the festival. The filmmakers of these award-winning films were present for the special screening. The chosen films explored critical and thought-provoking themes, including depression, suicide, and male rape, among others. The event was also attended by special delegates from Dubai (Rajj M Rao and Solène Anglaret) and Bangladesh (Tamanna Sultana), who received their prestigious awards. Indian independent filmmakers from various regions also showed off their incredible work at the festival. The presence of renowned actress Sreelekha Mitra, whose short film ‘Ebong Chhad’ received the People’s Choice Award, was a special highlight of the evening.

The Award Ceremonies began with a heartfelt tribute to the artists who have left the industry in recent years.

This was followed by a special talk show on legendary filmmaker Rituparno Ghosh, with panelists Sudeshna Roy (Senior Actress & Film Director), Arghyakamal Mitra (Veteran Film Editor), and Abhijit Guha (Senior Actor & Film Director, who is also the Festival Director of IDIFF).

The insightful discussion gave the audience a thorough understanding of Rituparno Ghosh’s life and legacy, which continue to inspire filmmakers and cinephiles. Ruthline Saha, the Festival Convenor, hosted the talk show.

The event then moved on to the Grand Award Distribution Ceremony, where filmmakers were recognized for their creative achievements. Rajj M Rao, a filmmaker based in Dubai, was among those honored with the prestigious Special Jury Award.

To add to the excitement, the 7th Heaven Kolkata bakery also organized a special cake-cutting ceremony.

In a special musical segment, renowned singer Annwesha Dutta Gupta appeared on stage to promote her latest film, ‘HumSaaz – The Musical’, alongside its director, Soumyajit Ganguly. Annwesha’s captivating performance of songs from her film enchanted the audience, making it a highlight of the event.

With the tremendous success of the Annual Gala Event 2025, the Indo Dubai International Film Festival is committed to promoting independent filmmaking and providing a global platform for storytellers. The festival hopes to organize more impactful events in the future that promote artistic expression and cinematic excellence.

Priyanka Dutta