Gangtok International Film Festival

ABOUT GIFF



Ending the stereotype of watching films in theatres and indie filmmakers not getting the attention they deserve from everyone. Gangtok International Film Festival - Gangtok is on a mission to present quality films from around the world as well as support, recognize and honour indie filmmakers.
It is dedicated to the film fraternity of the North-eastern region of India. This initiative aims to build a platform for the new as well as professional filmmakers to come together and explore different aspects of movie-making. Everything with just the right amount from a blend of cultural identities to urbanization, Gangtok is a breathing and dynamic bit of paradise of the northeast. It is the known as the exotic capital for a reason. It has an amazing view of mount Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain peak in the world.

The Mission of this project is to discover exceptional art-house cinema from all over the world. The project has been initiated to provide a supportive platform for the exceptionally talented independent indie filmmakers who have taken the risk of making films that are offbeat. But the most important aspect of the project is to introduce more people to indie cinemas and develop love for them.


OUR VISION


Vision of Gangtok International Film Festival is to give the indie filmmakers a global film platform to exhibit their projects. Our ideology is to promote the films of low-budget filmmakers that dissent radically in form or content from the mainstream, challenging the boundaries of the commercial film distribution, and to present imaginative cinema that dare to spark off heated discussions and transcend audience expectations. Sole purpose of GIFF is to celebrate WORLD CINEMA in the golden city of India, a city with a colourful and vibrant culture that reflects the rich heritage of the bygone era. Not only recognition our aim is to encourage and support the filmmakers by providing them REVIEWS, INTERVIEWS, SCORES and other Promotional facilities.

Festival Gallery

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Golden Score
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ABOUT Golden Score



Gangtok International Film Festival - Gangtok is on a mission to present quality films from around the world as well as support, recognize and honour indie filmmakers.
It is dedicated to the film fraternity of the North-eastern region of India. This initiative aims to build a platform for filmmakers to come together and explore different aspects of movie-making. Everything with just the right amount from a blend of cultural identities to urbanization, Gangtok is a breathing and dynamic bit of paradise of the northeast. It is the known as the exotic capital for a reason. It has an amazing view of mount Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain peak in the world.

The Mission of this Film Festival is to discover exceptional art-house cinema from all over the world. The project has been initiated to provide a supportive platform for the indie filmmakers who have taken the risk of making films that are offbeat. But the most important aspect of the project is to introduce more people to indie cinemas and develop love for them.

Awards and Categories

The officially selected project in each month will receive a laurel and certificate and the award winners will receive a customized certificate and laurel and are rated at their respective IMDb pages (if applicable). The monthly award winners will be automatically nominated for our annual live film screening and Golden Yak Award. (Best of the Best)

Besides the BEST of the category AWARDS, there are also OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS, which are given in different categories.

Rules and Terms

Please read these Rules & Terms carefully before you submit your film. By submitting your film into competition in the Gangtok International Film Festival (GIFF), you expressly acknowledge and agree that you shall be bound by the terms of these Rules & Terms.

GIFF is open to any film, regardless of content, subject, or origin. Submitting your film to the GIFF is not a guarantee of selection. All the official selection, nominees and the winners will be listed on the GIFF website permanently. We treat every filmmaker equally.

Rule #1

The film submitted to the GIFF for a particular month can be re-submitted at any time for a second chance, considering that we have different judges’ panels for each season.

Rule #2

Films made in languages other than English must have English subtitles otherwise they will be summarily rejected.

Rule #3

The GIFF reserves the right to refuse entries

Rule #4

A film director / film producer may submit more than one film in a category and more than one category at a time.

Rule #5

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless the GIFF, from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney’s fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits and publicity.

Rule #6

After a film has been an official selection, the filmmaker will be notified, and eventually the film will be listed on the film festival website under Official Selections. The Official Selection status doesn’t mean that your film will be screened at the film festival. It means that your film has been appreciated by our judges of panel and you can use the film festival logo on your poster.

Rule #7

The GIFF will not refund any fees if the filmmaker fails to submit the film in the correct category. Films submitted without the correct fees or proper submission media may be deemed ineligible at the discretion of the GIFF programming director or executive director. The film festival does not cover any of the expenses incurred by the filmmaker.

Rule #8

We require an official trailer or poster, synopsis and a link to your film. Please select the correct category while submitting to avoid disqualification. We reserve right to re-assign films to the appropriate category.

Rule #9

A nominee will be privately screened for the GIFF judging panel, and will not be screened initially to the public.

Rule #10

A filmmaker’s film submission fee will not be reimbursed if they decide to withdraw their submission. All entry fees are non-refundable.

Rule #11

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless the GIFF, from and against any and all claims, liabilities, losses, damages, and expenses (including but not limited to attorney’s fees, and costs of the court) which may be incurred by reason of any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits and publicity.

Rule #12

GIFF may without advance notice amend these Rules & Terms from time to time. Each and every such amendment shall be become effective immediately. It is your responsibility to periodically check for updates of these Rules & Terms.

Official Selection
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World Cinema now in the Capital of Sikkim

REVIEWS

Manvel Saribekyan

"Dear Gangtok International Film Festival team, You are one of the best film festivals we have taken part in. Our team would like to thank you for the excellent organization of the festival, as well as all the members of the jury, thanks to whose decision our film ""The American Good Samaritans"" won four awards.I wish all of you a all the best for the festival and in your personal life.
Best, Manvel Saribekyan, Film Producer."

Dr Samir Srivastava

Excellent festival. Well organized and brilliant for film makers.

John Alde

Gangtok International Film Festival is a vibrant and dynamic event that has had a significant impact on the film industry in India. With a focus on independent and experimental cinema, the festival has helped to promote the work of emerging filmmakers, raise awareness of important social issues, and boost tourism in Sikkim. As the festival continues to grow and expand, it is likely to have an even greater impact on the film industry and the cultural landscape of India.

Louis Abdilla

"All the crew and actors from ""Alessandra the Revenge"" is so happy and honoured to be selected as the Winner for the Best Short film. Thank you for running such a fantastic festival and supporting the Indi filmmaking industry; I highly recommend this festival to filmmakers worldwide. "

Rohit Raj Goya

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Gangtok International Film Festival team for considering our film "Titu Ambani" as a winner in your prestigious festival. This recognition means the world to our entire team, and it will undoubtedly give us the inspiration and motivation to continue creating films that touch the hearts of the audience. We are thrilled and honored to receive this award, and it is a tremendous boost to our morale. Your recognition will undoubtedly encourage us to continue pursuing our passion for filmmaking and bringing more thought-provoking stories to the world. Once again, thank you for your support and encouragement. We are grateful for the opportunity to showcase our talent and creativity, and we look forward to participating in future editions of the Gangtok International Film Festival.

Khadi Madama

Thank you all so much. When the invitation to submit to the Gangtok IFF came available, I didn't hesitate to submit my screenplay Tryst With Destiny - A Ghost Story. Truly, there is a team of masterminds behind the creation of these festivals because entering, monitoring, communicating and following up on one's status is a seamless journey. Looking forward to more and wishing all at GIFF all the best from my heart.

FRANC KOPIC

"Thank you, thank you, thank you. Your notice that my film is WINNER for the competiotion – I am very glad about it. I wish success to the wonderful festival! Thank you Festival Team. Great team, excellent communication."

Brijesh Gurnani

Very good festival, especially for independent film maker. Wishing you all the best.

Harry Waldman

Thank you for selecting "Enter the Room" as an award winner for Best Debut Filmmaker. The communication was clear and frequent. I had a very good experience overall, and will definitely consider submitting future projects to this festival.

Barbara Holstein

My experience with this featival was great. It was a delight to have my works so appreciated and understood. I hope some day to meet in person. Great Festival !

Disclaimer

All filmmakers understand and accept that if their film is accepted for presentation and screening at the film festival, they grant full and unrestricted permission for GIFF to screen the film/video at times of the film festival’s choice and to charge an admission fee for the presentation of the digital video program.

The Filmmaker understands and accepts that they do not participate in receiving any funds from the Box-office proceeds which are fully retained by the film festival to help cover the overall cost of the film festival presentation. It should be noted for the record that box-office proceeds never cover the cost of presentation of the Features and Short Film Programs. The Film Festival (GIFF) is a non-profit, Cultural Organization with Federal, State, Country & City Tax-Exemptions.

Required Legal Stuff: The filmmaker releases the film festival (GIFF) from any and all liability for damages or destruction of the entered DCP. The Filmmaker understands that the entered DCP will be retained in a secure facility by the film festival, and every effort will be taken to protect and control the viewing of this production. The film festival assumes no liability whatsoever for theft, copyright violations or piracy of the entry.

We use Professional Pioneer International playback systems, all formats, all regions, including Region 0. All entries are carefully pre-screened prior to the public showing to assure that the DCP does perform to the industry Standards. The Film Festival (GIFF) assumes no responsibility for any technical difficulties in the presentation of this video at the actual event.

The Film Festival (GIFF) reserves the complete right to make changes in the program dates and times and to possibly not screen the video, despite its being selected for screening.

The filmmaker will endeavour to present to The Film Festival (GIFF) a new and pre-checked Hard disk / DCP for the actual presentation of the video at the film festival.