Grand Opening of Four International Film Festivals in Jaipur The Acting of Class One Student Aarvik Thrilled Young Audiences

Jaipur – Under the joint aegis of Jaipur International Film Festival (JIFF) and Aryan Roj Foundation, Jaipur witnessed the grand two-day opening of four major international film festivals: the 8th Aryan International Children’s Film Festival of Jaipur (AICFF) 2025, the 10th Sixteen International Film Festivals (16IFF) 2025, and the launching editions of the Culture & Tourism Film Festival (CTFF) and World Student Film Festival (WSFF). The festivals are being hosted at Ryan International School (VT Road), Dolphin High School (Pratap Nagar), Vardhman International School (Mansarover), and Gyan Vihar School (Malviya Nagar).

On the first day, the 2-7 minute Movie Making Competition saw enthusiastic participation from schools and colleges across India. The top ten school films included: Shyam Sundar Paliwal and His Theory of Eco Feminism (Leelavati Bai Poddar High School, Mumbai), Three Hundred Years of Ahilya Bai Holkar (Seth M. Jaipuria School, Varanasi), Mangrove Whisper (Indus Valley World School, Kolkata), and several others. In the college category, the top five films included Jungle (Vivekananda Global Institute, Jaipur), The Price of Theft (Poornima University, Jaipur), and Crimson Silence (IIS University, Jaipur).

Children also had the opportunity to interact with renowned filmmakers, including Shivam Bambhaniya (Dokiyu), Abhilasha Bhardwaj (The Wet Wall), Dharmendra Upadhyay (Jhoothan), Danish Khan (Barbie Doll), and the director of Thank You Zindagi.

The Acting of Class One Student Aarvik Thrilled Young Audiences

The film “Jhoothan”, directed by Jaipur’s young filmmaker Dharmendra Upadhyay, won the hearts of both children and adults alike. In this film, the performance of Class One student Aarvik thrilled the young audience. As soon as they watched the film, children exclaimed – “Wow! What a brilliant performance!” The film carries a meaningful message: instead of throwing leftover food away, it should be shared with underprivileged children.

Notable films screened on the first day included India’s animated short Baahubali: Crown of Blood (Season 1, Episode 6 – "Dark Secrets") and The Legend of Hanuman (Season 4, Episode 6), along with short fiction films Redemption: The Unknown Path (Azad Singh) and Dokiyu (Shivam Bambhaniya). International films included China/Macao’s Morpheus (Guozheng He), Germany’s animation short Dobrina (Hannes Rall), India/Rajasthan’s Barbie Doll (Danish Khan), and Loyola College, Chennai’s fiction short Kasadaru.

On the final day, audiences will enjoy films such as India’s Jungle (Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies, New Delhi) and Echo in the Crowd (Christ University, Bangalore), alongside international films including the UK’s Dante’s Inferno – The Ascension (Sofian Francis), China/Macao’s Morpheus, Mexico’s Olguita (Marimar Herrerías Pliego), Russia’s Yashka The Cuttlefish and Les Rêves / The Dreams, and France’s animated short The Forest of the Honey Bees (Erwan Le Gal).

These festivals offer young audiences a rich exposure to global storytelling, cultural diversity, and the art of filmmaking.