School Cinema International Film Festival to bring global stories to classrooms across India

Classrooms across India are set to turn into mini theaters this November as the eighth edition of the School Cinema International Film Festival (SCIFF) prepares to screen more than 100 films from 25 countries, including France, Spain, Germany, Kyrgyzstan, and the UAE.

To be held from Nov 14 to 30, the festival will reach over 40,000 government and 1,000 private schools, positioning itself among the largest educational film outreach programs globally.

“SCIFF was born from a simple yet profound belief that cinema should be within every child’s reach, not limited to exclusive festivals or privileged spaces,” said Syed Sultan Ahmed, Festival Director of SCIFF and Founder & Chief Learner at LXL Ideas.

Ahmed noted that schools across India can now organize their own editions of the festival, turning classrooms into spaces where students experience world cinema firsthand.

The initiative aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which promotes integrating creative media into academics to encourage holistic learning.

“Through SCIFF, we aim to nurture young minds that watch with awareness, learn with curiosity, and express with empathy. Every frame becomes a classroom, and every story, a life lesson,” he added.

This year’s edition has drawn strong international partnerships. Renowned festivals such as the Annecy International Animation Film Festival (France), the AniMela Festival (India), the Giffoni Film Festival (Italy), and the ZERO PLUS International Film Festival (Russia) are supporting SCIFF 2025. France and Spain have also joined as country partners.

Launching on Children’s Day, the festival will feature 103 films in over 20 Indian and international languages.

After last year’s participation from 23,000 schools and over 100,000 students, the 2025 edition aims to expand its footprint even further.

SCIFF operates on a “WATCH, LEARN, MAKE” framework that allows students to explore every aspect of filmmaking.

Under WATCH Cinema, classrooms are transformed into theaters showcasing films that inspire discussion and reflection.

LEARN Cinema provides behind-the-scenes exposure through expert-led workshops and online masterclasses covering scriptwriting, sound design, cinematography, and editing.

MAKE Cinema encourages students to produce their own short films and compete for selection on the youth jury in the following year.

Initially launched as the International Kids Film Festival (IKFF) in 2017, SCIFF has since evolved into a powerful educational movement blending storytelling, art, and social awareness.

With more than 10 million students and 60,000 schools engaged to date, the festival continues to redefine how cinema can shape young minds, teaching empathy, creativity, and global consciousness through the language of film.