HISFF will offer a dedicated platform for nurturing new voices and advancing short-form cinema.
Published Dec 19, 2025 | 12:01 AM ⚊ Updated Dec 19, 2025 | 12:01 AM
A scene from 'Afternoon Clouds' by Payal Kapadia. The 13-minute short will be screened on Sunday.
Synopsis: The event will also feature 11 short films under a special North-East Pavilion, highlighting the emerging voices from the region, along with five classic films curated for audiences. Additionally, there will be panel discussions on contemporary issues in Indian cinema and a masterclass for young and aspiring filmmakers.
The inaugural Hyderabad International Short Film Festival will open with Ancessao and Jahaan-The Last Gift at screens 4 and 5 of Prasad’s Multiplex Theatre on Friday, 19 December.
Organised under the aegis of the Dadasaheb Phalke School of Film Studies jointly with the Telangana Film Development Corporation and the state’s Department of Culture, Youth and Tourism, the festival will screen 60 shorts over Saturday and Sunday.
The organisers said the 60 short films were selected from 704 entries, including those from Spain, Egypt, the USA, the UK, the UAE, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, South Korea and Luxembourg.
The winners will get a purse of ₹3 lakh. The valedictory and awards ceremony will be held at 6 pm on 21 December.
The inaugural ceremony at 5 pm on Friday will have Telangana’s Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy as the Chief Guest and the Minister of Tourism and Culture, Jupally Krishna Rao, as the Guest of Honour.
Telangana Film Development Corporation Chairman Dil Raju will preside over the function, which will be attended by towering film personalities, Judy Gladstone, Maithili Rao, Nagesh Kukunoor, Lima Das, Sunzu Bachuspatimayum, and Utpal Borpujari.
One of the opening shorts, Ancessao, a 30-minute Konkani short film, has won the Best International Short Film award at the 14th International Film Festival of South Asia (IFFSA), Toronto.
Directed by Manguirish Jagdish Bandodkar, Ancessao features a “sensitive and poignant portrayal of old age, loneliness, and the human journey of coping with these challenges.”
Prashanti Talpankar, who acted in the film, received the Best Actor award in the international category at IFFSA. The short is about an elderly, lonely lady in a Goan village, who find solace in gossip mongering. Through her compelling performance, Talpankar captured the emotional depth and complexity of an old woman grappling with personal struggle and vulnerability.
Jahaan-The Last Gift examines the realities of climate change and human indifference by combining restrained storytelling with striking visuals.
Directed by Rahul Shetty and headlined by Tiger Shroff, the short fiction was recently screened at the WAVES Summit 2025, where it prompted discussions on environmental responsibility and climate awareness. Further, Shroff received the Best Actor award at the Lakecity International Film Festival 2025, held recently in Mumbai.
The event will also feature 11 short films under a special North-East Pavilion, highlighting the emerging voices from the region, along with five classic films curated for audiences.
Additionally, there will be panel discussions on contemporary issues in Indian cinema and a masterclass for young and aspiring filmmakers.
The organisers said HISFF will offer a dedicated platform for nurturing new voices and advancing short-form cinema.
The event brings together original storytelling and contemporary narratives with meaningful engagement. It fosters dialogue between new talent and established practitioners, the organisers said in a statement.
