First Edition of Hyderabad International Short Film Festival Begins Dec 19
Around 700 entries were received from India and abroad, and 60 short films were selected for competition
Hyderabad: Organised by the Dadasaheb Phalke School of Film Studies, the first edition of the Hyderabad International Short Film Festival (HISFF) will be held from December 19 to 21, 2025, at Screens 4 and 5 of Prasads Multiplex.
Held in collaboration with the Telangana State Film Development Corporation and the Department of Culture, Youth and Tourism, Government of Telangana, the three-day festival will be inaugurated on December 19 at 5 pm. Veteran filmmaker and Telangana Gaddar Film Award jury member Uma Maheshwara Rao is the patron of the organising committee.
The festival will open on December 19 at 5 pm, with Roads & Buildings and Cinematography Minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy attending as chief guest and Tourism and Culture Minister Jupally Krishna Rao as guest of honour. TFDC chairman Dil Raju will preside over the event, alongside well-known filmmakers and critics including Judy Gladstone, Maithili Rao, Nagesh Kukunoor, Lima Das, Sunzu Bachuspatimayum, and Utpal Borpujari.
The opening night will feature screenings of Ancessao, a Konkani short film directed by Manguirish Jagdish Bandodkar that won Best International Short Film at IFFSA Toronto, and Jahaan – The Last Gift, a climate-change themed short by Rahul Shetty, featuring Tiger Shroff.
Around 700 entries were received from India and abroad, including submissions from Spain, Egypt, the USA, UK, UAE, Sri Lanka, South Korea, and Luxembourg, say the organisers. From these, 60 short films were selected for competition, with total prize money of Rs 3 lakh.
Alongside screenings, the festival will also host panel discussions, a masterclass by Nagesh Kukunoor, curated classic films, and a North-East Pavilion showcasing 11 short films from the region. The festival will conclude with the awards and valedictory ceremony on December 21.