Bhubaneswar: The Temple City of India, is set to welcome a new chapter in its cultural and cinematic journey with the Bhubaneswar International Film Festival (BIFF) 2026—An initiative to create a globally recognized platform for cinematic excellence, cultural exchange, and film appreciation.
Founded by filmmaker Manas Sahoo, BIFF aims to become Odisha’s first professionally organized international competitive film festival, guided by global vision and standards, with a comprehensive framework for evaluating and celebrating filmmaking.
With the theme “Where Heritage Meets Cinema,” BIFF seeks to bring the world to Bhubaneswar while taking the stories, heritage and creative identity of Odisha to the global cinematic community.BIFF is envisioned as a professionally structured international competition—not merely a film screening—where filmmakers can present and compete alongside national and international cinema.
Following internationally informed practices, it aims to ensure systematic, transparent selection, competition, jury evaluation and recognition of cinematic craft. BIFF seeks to inspire thousands of filmmakers and film professionals to excel, valuing cinema for its artistic integrity, technical innovation, storytelling and cultural significance as well as its entertainment.
BIFF will feature a diverse range of cinematic sections, including International Competition, National Competition – Indian Languages, Odia Cinema Panorama, International AI Film Festival, Short Film and Documentary Competition, alongside special showcases dedicated to women directors, tribal and indigenous cinema, children’s films, heritage and culture, and environmental cinema.The festival will provide a platform for diverse cinematic voices, encouraging meaningful interaction among filmmakers, producers, actors, critics, scholars, students and cinema enthusiasts from India and across the world.The dedicated AI Cinema section will further explore the evolving relationship between cinema and emerging technologies, highlighting AI-generated films, hybrid cinema and experimental digital storytelling.Beyond competitive screenings, BIFF will host workshops, masterclasses, filmmaker interactions, panel discussions and industry networking initiatives designed to nurture young talent, encourage professional development and promote creative collaboration.Cinema as a Medium of Heritage and IdentityBIFF aims to connect Odisha’s cultural heritage with the diverse artistic expressions of world cinema, creating a platform where regional identity and global perspectives can coexist and inspire one another.
The festival also seeks to contribute to the promotion of Odia cinema, while encouraging greater participation from film institutions, cultural organizations, industry associations and government bodies.
Speaking about the vision behind BIFF, Founder and President Manas Sahoo said: BIFF is conceived to bring a disciplined and meaningful system of film evaluation, where the true craft of cinema—its storytelling, visual language, direction, performance, cinematography, editing and sound—is recognized and celebrated.Our ambition is to create a platform where a filmmaker from Odisha can compete with a filmmaker from anywhere in the world on the strength of their artistic vision and cinematic excellence.
“We want to encourage thousands of filmmakers and technicians, inspire the next generation and establish Bhubaneswar as a significant destination for international cinema. BIFF is not simply a festival of films; it is a commitment to the future of cinema, the dignity of its craft and the global recognition of Odisha’s cultural identity.”
The organizing team invites filmmakers, film production houses, cinema associations, cultural institutions, government bodies, sponsors, media organizations, film schools and cinema lovers to become part of this ambitious initiative.BIFF aims to build a strong collaborative ecosystem that supports artistic excellence, professional filmmaking practices, cultural dialogue and international cinematic exchange.Currently BIFF has received more than 120 film submissions across multiple categories from more than 20+ countries.
