School cinema festival to kick off on Nov 14 at 41,000 schools across country

More than 100 curated films from 25 countries, including France, Spain, Germany, Kyrgyzstan and the UAE are set to be screened at over 40,000 government and 1,000 private schools across the country during the eighth edition of School Cinema International Film Festival (SCIFF), officials said.

The festival will be organised from November 14-30, they said.

"SCIFF was created with a simple yet powerful idea - that cinema must be accessible to every child, not confined to film festivals or privileged spaces. Films are not just entertainment, they are pedagogical experiences that teach children to see, feel, and think differently," said Syed Sultan Ahmed, Festival Director, SCIFF, and Founder & Chief Learner, LXL Ideas.

Ahmed said that today, any school in India can host a film festival through SCIFF, bringing the world's best stories directly to classrooms. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 too emphasises creative learning and the use of diverse media, including cinema, as tools for holistic education, he said.

"Through SCIFF, we aim to nurture a generation that watches with awareness, learns with curiosity, and expresses with empathy. Every frame becomes a classroom - and every story, a lesson in life," he added.

Prominent global film festivals such as Annecy International Animation Film Festival (France), AniMela Festival (India), Giffoni Film Festival (Italy), and ZERO PLUS International Film Festival (Russia) have extended their support to SCIFF 2025 furthering its mission to bring diverse cinematic voices to Indian schools.

The festival also draws support from country partners France and Spain.

"The 8th edition of SCIFF will kick off on Children's Day, November 14 till November 30, bringing world cinema directly to classrooms across India. Reaching over 40,000 government and 1,000 private schools pan-India, the festival will showcase more than 103 curated films from 25 countries in over 20 Indian and foreign languages," Ahmed said.

He explained that SCIFF offers students a comprehensive festival experience through its 'WATCH, LEARN, MAKE' framework.

"WATCH Cinema transforms schools into cinemas, where age-appropriate, emotionally enriching films spark connections and conversations. LEARN Cinema takes students behind the scenes of filmmaking, with expert-led workshops in scriptwriting, cinematography, sound, and editing, making film education accessible through online masterclasses, even for remote regions. "Finally, MAKE Cinema allows students to bring their creativity to life by participating in a filmmaking competition, with the opportunity to join the youth jury for the next edition of SCIFF," he said.

Last year, SCIFF engaged with over 23,000 schools and reached more than 100,000 students across India.

Formerly known as the International Kids Film Festival (IKFF), SCIFF is a  initiative that uses film as a teaching pedagogy. Through age-appropriate, thought-provoking storytelling, SCIFF nurtures creativity, critical thinking, empathy, and global awareness among students — helping them engage with the world through imagination and dialogue.

Since its inception in 2017, SCIFF has reached over 10 million students and engaged over 60,000 schools through school-based screenings, positioning itself as a transformative educational platform that bridges art, learning, and social awareness.

By turning classrooms into spaces of visual exploration, the festival continues to expand its impact year after year.