List of Films selected for screening at 23rd Edition Of Chennai International Film Festival (11th Dec'2025 - 18th Dec '2025)

Dec 8, 2025

The 23^rd Chennai International Film Festival will be held between 11’^h December 2025 and 18th December 2o25 by lndo Cine Appreciation Foundation with the support of Government of Tamil Nadu and NFDC.

Dates of the Festival	11th December Z025 to 18^th December 20Z5
Venues	PVR INOX — Sathyam Cinemas, Royapettah & PVR INOX — Citi Centre, RK Salai
Inaugural Function	PVR INOX Cinemas — Sathyam screen (December 11, 2025 at 6:00 pm)
Closing Function	PVR INOX Cinemas — Sathyam screen (December 18, 2025 at 6:00 pm)

For Tamil films competition category, tCAF informed through Press, our website and our social media about the submission process and the last date for receipt of entries was fixed as 1st November 2D25.

12 films selected by the Preview Committee will be announced at the Press Meet on §h December 2025. This year also

we will be giving J3 awards.

We will have Competition for World Cinema category inviting entries through FilmFreeway. The response is very encouraging. The list of selected films will also be announced at the Press Meet. We will be giving 2 awards and 1 special mention by way of certificates.

HIGHLIGHTS OF 23^rd CHENNAI INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Number of Countries	S1
Number of Films	122
Guests	Diplomats from various Foreign Missions across India and Film Directors from all over the World
Opening Film	EAGLES of the REPUBLIC by Tarik Saleh (Cannes Film Festival 2025 - Palme d'Or nominee)
Closing Film	EL 47 (The 47) by Marcel Barrena
Other Award-Winning Films	Oscars 2026 Nominations (14 films) Young Mothers, The Things You Kill, A Poet, 100 Liters of Gold, lt Was Just an Accident, Panopticon, Sound of Falling, The Love That Remains, AII That's Left of You, Obraz — The Tower of Strength, Sentimental Value, Magellan, Sirät, Eagles of the Republic
	Cannes Film Festival 2025 - Winners (6 films) lt Was Just an Accident (Palme d'or winner), Sentimental Value, Sound of Falling, Young Mothers, The Little Sister, A Poet
	Berlin International Film Festival - Winners (3 films) Dreams (Sex Love) — Golden Berlin Bear winner, Kontinental ’25, Paternal Leave
Films from popular film festivals like Busan International Film Festival, Fajr Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, San Sebastian International Film Festival and Locarno Internatlonal Film Festival

COUntry Focus- Russia	3 films (courtesy: Russian House in Chennai)
Retrospective of Wim Wenders (German Director)	5 films
Retrospective of Itaren Shakhnazarov (Russian Director)	fi films (courtesy: Russian House in Chennai)
Contemporary Films from Spain	4 films (courtesy: Embassy of Spain in New Delhi)
German Cinema	3 films (courtesy: Goethe-lnstitut, Chennai), including SOUND OF FALLING, Germany's entry to Oscars 2026
French Films	2 films (courtesy: Alliance Frangaise of Madras)
Glimpses of Taiwan	2 films (courtesy: Economic and Cultural Office of Taiwan in Chennai)
Country Focus — Kerala	5 films
Indian Panorama	15 films (8 films courtesy of DFF, NFDC India) including Obraz (The Tower of Strength) which is Montenegro's entry to Oscars 2026)
Tamil Feature Films Competition	12 films ( list enclosed )
Homage	Homage to Mr. Shaji N Karun (Indian Film Director and DoP)
Screening of BASHA by Suresh Krishna to commemorate 50 years of contribution by Sh. Rajinikanth ji to Indian film industry, particularly Tamil film industry, 30 years of BAASHHA and 60 years of Sathya Jyothi Films. Shon films by the students of Tamil Nadu Government MGR Film and Television Institute

FIRST TIME IN CIFF:

In World cinema section:

Movies from Saint Helena, Georgia, Finlond, Philippines, Jordan, Myanmar, Nepal and Montenegro

In Indian Panorama section:

A movie from Bihar(Bhojpuri language)

This year we will be taking student volunteers from DG Vaishnav College.

DELEGATE REGISTRATION

Direct Registration at festival office of PVR INOX Sathyam Cinemas, Royapettah from December 10. Before that registration will be done at ICAF office: Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation, E Block, 2"d Floor, Door Number 4, Gemini Parsn Apartments, Cathedral Garden Road, Chennai —600006