8th School Cinema International Film Festival 2025 kicks off in Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Nov 14 (PTI) The 8th edition of the School Cinema International Film Festival 2025 began on Friday, marking the start of what organisers call the "world’s largest children’s film festival," held in celebration of Children’s Day.

The inaugural event, hosted at Delhi Public School, Bengaluru South, set the stage for a nationwide celebration of creativity, empathy, and learning through cinema, the festival organisers said in a release.

Over 1,000 students, educators, and dignitaries participated in the launch, including Nikolai Dann, Founder of Zero Plus International Film Festival (Russia); Alexander Shkolenko, Creative Producer, Zero Plus International Film Festival (Russia); Medha Kulkarni, Director of 'Sullinkayi–The Fruit of Lies'; and Ketan Pal, Director of 'The Garland of Ghughuti'.

Reanna Ranjan, SCIFF Participant 2022 and Child Jury Representative for India at the Giffoni Film Festival 2023 (Italy), was also in attendance.

Running from November 14-30, 2025, SCIFF 2025 will engage students from over 40,000 government schools and 1,000 private schools across India.

The festival will showcase more than 100 curated films from 25 countries, including France, Spain, Germany, Kyrgyzstan, the UAE, and Russia, in over 20 languages.

"SCIFF is more than just a film festival; it’s a movement to bring the world’s finest stories directly into classrooms across India. Cinema has the power to ignite curiosity, nurture creativity, and build empathy," said Syed Sultan Ahmed, Festival Director of SCIFF and Founder & Chief Learner of LXL Ideas.

"We are proud to engage over 41,000 schools this year, making SCIFF 2025 a truly transformative experience for young minds in the country," he added.

Through its unique "Watch, Learn, Make" framework, the festival encourages students to explore cinema as both an art form and a medium for dialogue.

Participants will watch age-appropriate films, engage in interactive workshops, and take part in a national-level filmmaking competition, all designed to nurture storytelling, empathy, and creativity among children up to grade 10, it added.

SCIFF 2025 has received support from prominent global film festivals, including the Annecy International Animation Film Festival (France), AniMela Festival (India), Giffoni Film Festival (Italy), and Zero Plus International Film Festival (Russia), further reinforcing its stature as a global platform for children’s cinema.

The festival is also supported by France and Spain as country partners. PTI KSU SSK