A seasoned film critic’s chronicle of 56th IFFI 2025, capturing world cinema, chaos and conversations by film critic Lalit Rao.

A report about 56th IFFI 2025: From a silver bear to a haunted vacuum cleaner: An experienced and knowledgeable film critic’s chronicle of world cinema, chaos and conversations that focused solely on cinema © by film critic Lalit Rao (FIPRESCI) [lalitmax2022@gmail.com]

 

The 56th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2025 was, for me, an experience of striking contradictions. As a film critic and a member of the prestigious film critics’ organization FIPRESCI (India), I managed to watch 23 ‘world cinema’ films during the festival. Out of these, I found 10 films to be genuinely good, 5 films to be mediocre, and 5 films to be absolutely horrible. The remaining 3 films left me emotionally and intellectually indifferent.

 

While the overall programming showed great promise, the festival’s technological infrastructure — particularly its ticketing application — became a major obstacle for an inveterate cinéphile like me. On multiple occasions, the application crashed or failed to function properly. By the time technical repairs were carried out, most of the critically acclaimed films were already fully booked. This raised a disturbing question: what is the fate of a film festival when even experienced film critics and journalists are denied the opportunity to see the best films?

 

Due to these persistent anomalies, I missed several acclaimed ‘‘World Cinema’’ titles such as Sirat by Oliver Laxe, No Other Choice by Park Chan-wook, Silent Friend by Ildikó Enyedi, Sentimental Value by Joachim Trier, and Left-Handed Girl by Shih-Ching Tsou. The absence of repeat screenings for such landmark films made the experience deeply frustrating. Had the festival organized some additional screenings of these films, the 56th IFFI could have been far more memorable and meaningful for serious cinéphiles and film critics and journalists.

   

Despite these setbacks, the festival offered rich intellectual rewards through interaction. I had the privilege of engaging in several fruitful and knowledgeable discussions with directors and producers whose films were screened at 56th IFFI 2025. These conversations greatly enhanced my understanding of their creative processes and cinematic philosophies. Among the filmmakers I interacted with were French director Diane Kurys (Moi qui t’aimais), Colombian filmmaker Simón Mesa Soto (A Poet), Indian director based in Japan Anshul Chauhan (Tiger), New Zealand producer Matt Noonan, Japanese director Kei Ishikawa (A Pale View of Hills), and Japanese filmmaker Masaki Nishiyama (The Invisible Half).

 

One of the most memorable experiences was watching the Japanese horror film ‘‘The Invisible Half’’ while its director, Masaki Nishiyama, was seated next to me. Masaki Nishiyama began working on ‘‘The Invisible Half’’ at the remarkably young age of 19, demonstrating an early commitment and rare maturity of vision. After six years of meticulous effort, he finally completed the film, a testament to his patience, discipline and artistic ambition. The film premiered at the prestigious Raindance Film Festival 2025, where it attracted international attention for its unsettling atmosphere and original approach to horror. It was subsequently acquired by the Los Angeles–based sales, production and finance company EST N8, marking a significant step in its global journey. Today, Nishiyama stands as one of the most promising voices shaping the future of Japanese horror on the international stage. Following the screening at INOX cinema, he participated in an informal discussion that lasted nearly 50 minutes. For any serious student of cinema, such moments are priceless. 

 

A particularly unpleasant incident occurred when Japanese director Kei Ishikawa was denied entry to the VIP lounge before the screening of his film on 27th November 2025. The lounge had been filled with friends and relatives of filmmakers, and a bouncer refused him entry despite his official status. It is rather unfortunate that such incidents bring a bad name not only to IFFI (a major FIAPF accredited film festival) but also to India, a country renowned worldwide for its hospitality. On a personal note, Mr. Kei Ishikawa was impressed by my knowledge of Japanese and World Cinema and requested that his assistant click a photograph of us together from his iPhone. He also offered me his visiting card — a small gesture, perhaps, for many people but a deeply meaningful one for an experienced film critic.

 

56th edition of IFFI 2025 introduced a refreshing change by replacing the conventional opening ceremony with a vibrant parade near INOX, showcasing Indian cinema through creatively designed floats. The parade struck a balanced and celebratory tone. In contrast, the closing ceremony leaned heavily toward promoting Bollywood and commercial cinema, which felt misplaced. Bollywood, being powerful and well-funded, does not require any institutional patronage, whereas offbeat, regional and independent Indian cinema deserves greater visibility at a national festival.

 

The closing ceremony was intended to honour cinematic excellence, celebrating Tamil superstar Rajinikanth’s extraordinary 50-years long contribution to Indian cinema and recognising Kannada actor, director Rishab Shetty for ‘‘Kantara: Chapter 1’’. However, the dignity of the occasion was compromised to a large extent when actor Ranveer Singh used the prestigious platform to promote his upcoming film ‘‘Dhurandhar’’. This act appeared insensitive to the spirit of the festival and stood out as an unfortunate breach of festival decorum.

Two initiatives championed by IFFI stood out positively: CMOT (Creative Minds of Tomorrow) 2025 and Waves Film Bazaar 2025. Both projects have tremendous potential to enhance IFFI’s stature as a truly international film festival. However, the consistent ignoring and sidelining of the media, especially at Waves Film Bazaar, must end. As in the past, media professionals should be accredited and provided free entry to report on what is acclaimed as South Asia’s biggest film market.

 

From a structural perspective, the festival urgently needs to become more media-friendly. The current ticket booking system proved to be a nightmare for cinéphiles, film critics and journalists alike. I strongly believe that IFFI should consider reintroducing paper tickets, as was done in the past. Additionally, at least 20 seats in every cinema hall should be reserved for film critics and journalists. Young and inexperienced participants who book tickets purely out of hype and then fail to show up should be penalized, as their absence deprives serious viewers of valuable seats.

One striking and disappointing feature of the 56th IFFI was the absence of retrospectives of acclaimed cineastes. Retrospectives of masters of cinema are vital educational tools, enabling cinéphiles, critics, and journalists to deepen their understanding of cinematic history and language. This tradition must be revived in future editions.

 

Both the opening and closing films of IFFI 2025 were excellent and were screened simultaneously across all cinema halls, allowing every delegate to experience global cinema without logistical barriers. The opening film, the Brazilian ‘‘The blue trail’’ directed by Gabriel Mascaro, was a haunting portrayal of a dystopian Brazil. Through the character of Teresa, an elderly woman who embarks on a daring journey through the Amazon, the film celebrated autonomy and resilience in the face of adversity. The film’s international stature was underscored by its Silver bear win at Berlinale 2025 and its selection as Brazil’s official entry for the Academy awards.

 

The closing film from Thailand, ‘‘A useful ghost’’ by débutant filmmaker Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, was equally remarkable. Winner of the grand prize at Cannes Critics’ Week 2025 and Thailand’s official Oscar entry, the film offered a quirky and deeply original narrative. It told the story of Nat, a woman who dies from dust pollution and returns as a spirit haunting her husband’s vacuum cleaner to remain close to him. Blending allegory, dark comedy, romance, and environmental anxiety, the film created a surreal fable of grief and redemption set against Thailand’s smoke-clogged industrial landscape.

 

Apart from cinema, the sport of Chess remains my second great passion. On Sunday, 23rd November 2025, I took a deliberate break from uninspiring films to participate in FIDE Chess World Cup 2025 organized at Rio Resort in Arpora, located 15 kilometres from Panaji. This brief diversion refreshed my mind and spirit.

  

Equally delightful for me were the informal interactions over breakfast at MYNT restaurant, Taj Vivanta, where I met and conversed with some of the most eminent personalities of Indian cinema such as Sibi Malayil, Muzaffar Ali, Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, Vishal Bhardwaj, Raja Bundela, and Anupam Kher. These daily conversations about cinema, storytelling, and the future of Indian and world films were among the most enjoyable parts of the festival.

 

Now, I turn to ten films that truly impressed me during 56th IFFI 2025:

 

1. El Conserje (Mexico) – Directed by Mauro Mueller and David Figueroa, this film brilliantly depicted the life of an ordinary school janitor confronting unruly children who express their rebellion through obscene graffiti, transforming a simple premise into a sensitive social portrait.

 

2. A Poet (Colombia) – Directed by Simón Mesa Soto, this film explored how a failed poet attempts to rescue a young girl from poverty, only to discover that noble intentions alone are not enough to alter entrenched social realities.

 

3. The President’s Cake (Iraq) – Directed by Hasan Hadi, this powerful film portrayed the everyday lives of ordinary citizens, especially children, who were forced to sacrifice their happiness for the cult of Saddam Hussein in the 1990s.

 

4. Karla (Germany) – Christina Tournatzes’ film stood out for its austerity, depicting a young girl who takes her abusive father to court in 1962 without her mother’s support. The complete absence of background music made the emotional impact even more raw and authentic.

 

5. Orphan (Hungary) – Directed by László Nemes, this 150-minute film examined a young boy’s psychological struggle to accept a stranger as his new father after idolizing his deceased father. Its slow, immersive style made it a profoundly rewarding experience.

 

6. Gorgona (Greece) – Evi Kalogiropoulou emerged as a filmmaker to watch with this bold fusion of Mad Max-style dystopia and political fury, where chaos erupts after a woman is chosen to lead a collapsing town.

 

7. Sham (Japan) – Directed by Takashi Miike, this gripping courtroom thriller revealed the discrimination faced by a teacher falsely accused of bullying a student, showcasing Miike’s mastery over tension and social critique.

 

8. Mother’s Baby (Austria) – Director Johanna Moder delivered a haunting psychological study of a woman who begins to doubt whether the child she gave birth to is really hers, sinking slowly into postpartum depression. The theme was daring and rarely explored in world cinema.

 

9. K-Poper (Iran) – Directed by Ebrahim Amini, this touching film captured the cultural conflict faced by a teenage girl obsessed with K-pop in conservative Iran, and the tenderness of her bond with a grandfather who idolises two of the greatest legends of American culture namely James Dean and Elvis Presley.

 

10. A Useful Ghost (Thailand) – Debutant director Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke’s film, which also served as the closing film, impressed me and many cinephiles with its audacious combination of dust pollution, domestic objects like a vacuum cleaner, and metaphors of male sexuality, creating a bold, absurd, and deeply human cinematic experience.

 

In conclusion, the 56th IFFI 2025 was a film festival of immense potential and equally immense frustration. Its programming demonstrated global ambition, but its organizational failures — especially in ticketing, media management, and respect for filmmakers — undermined the experience. With better planning, respect for critics and media professionals, and a stronger focus on world and independent cinema, IFFI can genuinely become one of the great film festivals of the world. For now, it remains a festival suspended between brilliance and breakdown.