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Indie Filmmaker's Lifelong Dream Realized with IFFI Competition Selection
10 Nov
Summary
- Filmmaker has attended IFFI since 2013-14, film education happened there
- Struggled financially to attend IFFI in early years, now selected in competition
- Selection helps overcome disappointment of not being selected for IFFK
In a significant milestone, an indie filmmaker's film has been selected for the competition section of the upcoming International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in 2025. The director, Jithin, has been attending IFFI since 2013-14, stating that his film education happened at the festival. He expresses his joy at this selection, describing it as "coming full circle."
Jithin recalls his early days of attending IFFI, when he would travel by train or local buses, sometimes getting down at multiple stops before reaching Panjim due to financial constraints. He would stay at government youth hostels costing around ₹200-250 per night for a dormitory. Over time, he was able to upgrade to an AC dormitory and then a room. Last year, he was even upgraded from a delegate to a guest, highlighting his journey.
The selection has also helped Jithin move past the disappointment of not being selected for the Kerala International Film Festival (IFFK) in 2025. He had expected his film to be part of the Malayalam Cinema Today category at IFFK, but it was not selected. However, the IFFI competition selection has now made up for that setback.
