TFF Dharamsala | 11-12 September 2025
Tibet Film Festival India is back this year for its 13th edition.
We've curated a special program of films and discussions at the Tibetan Youth Festival happening in Dharamsala from 11- 12 September at Upper TCV School.
Find the details below!
Short Film Competition
Thursday, September 11 | 5.45pm - 7.00pm | TCV
The short film competition was launched in 2010 and has become an integral part of the Tibet Film Festival ever since. This year we have a stellar selection of 8 short films submitted from around the Tibetan diaspora including India, Belgium, USA, Switzerland and France.
A jury of Tibetan filmmakers, artists and scholars evaluates the submitted films and awards the Yak Prize, endowed with CHF 3,000. Audiences at the festival venues also have the opportunity to vote for their favorite and honor them with the Audience Award(CHF 500).
SCREENING: Bringing Tibet Home
Thursday September 11 | 8.00 pm | TCV
Tenzin Tsetan Choklay| 2013 | South Korea, USA | 82min | Docu | Tibetan/English with English subtitles
A young artist sets out on a mission to bring Tibet home to its people through an art project that involves smuggling 20,000 kilos of native Tibetan soil across the Himalayas from Tibet into India, crossing the borders of three countries.
By virtue of his small mission, he forever touches the hearts of many Tibetans living in exile who are unable to return home.
TALK: Tenzing Rigdol
After the screening, we will have a Q&A with artist Tenzing Rigdol.
Thursday September 11 | 9.15 PM | TCV
Tenzing Rigdol, Tibetan-American contemporary artist, poet and filmmaker, pursued his education at the University of Colorado at Denver, where he would later be awarded an honorary doctorate in 2022. His work has been exhibited globally, including notable installations such as Biography of a Thought at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. In 2013, Rigdol’s Pin Drop Silence was acquired by The Met, as the first contemporary Nepal-born, Tibetan artist’s work to enter the museum’s permanent collection. Rigdol shares a commitment to cultural preservation and artistic dialogue.
PANEL: Behind the Scenes
Friday September 12 | 3.15 - 4.30 pm | TCV
Speakers: Sonam Tseten (Filmmaker - Drung Filmmaker’s Collective), Shenphenn Khymsar (Filmmaker - 4 Rivers, 6 Ranges), Lhakpa Tsering (Actor - Tibet Theatre)
Moderator: Jamyang Phuntsok (Screenwriter & Filmmaker)
We delve into the craft of visual storytelling and performance arts with a panel of Tibetan filmmakers, actors and theatre / performance artists. The discussion will cover a range of craft-oriented topics such as finding and nurturing a unique voice, what it takes to develop and sustain a creative process, how to build collaborations across visual formats, and overcoming challenges to tell bold stories.