The Yellowstone International Film Festival 2025 (YIFF 2025) is set to take place from Nov. 13 to 20, 2025, in Mumbai at the PVR dynamix, Juhu. With an array of categories including documentaries, shorts, feature films, and LGBTQIA+ films, this year’s edition will feature over 100 global films, with 50 of them being Indian and Asian premieres. A celebration of the finest picks from independent cinema, the festival will also feature acclaimed international titles, such as Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day by Ivona Juka, which is about the lives of four Yugosalvian gay filmmakers trying to evade the communist party’s suspicion in the 1950’s, and Aisha Can’t Fly by Morad Mostafa — which depicts the rifts between African migrant groups and the underworld through the eyes of Aisha, a Somali caregiver.
Additionally, the festival’s short film sections will premiere works from global festival circuits, including Cannes winner I’m Glad You’re Dead Now by Tawfeek Barhom, Cannes selection Across the Waters and DISC by Viv Li, and TIFF winner I Fear Blue Skies by Salar Pashtoonyar, to name a few. Along with these screenings, audiences can also expect masterclasses with panelists like Hansal Mehta, Ashwiny Iyer, Rohan Kanawade, Shoojit Sircar, and more.
Ahead of the upcoming eight-day festival, Rolling Stone India spotlights some of the Indian films from YIFF 2025 that should be on your radar.
Dream Factory (2023)
This Arushi Nigam Documentary explores the unsung heroes of the Bollywood production industry, who painstakingly work behind the scenes to bolster the hero’s journey. Ranging from light and sound operators to spot dadas, Nigam’s documentary offers an intimate glimpse into the invisible labor of Mumbai and New Delhi-based crews working backstage. Think Luck By Chance, but with the gritty realism of Faiza Ahmand Khan’s Supermen of Malegaon.
Places To Call My Own (2023)
This 28-minute film captures the conflicting emotions that bubble up when you return to the place you once called home. For Tara, a U.S. returnee in the midst of an I.V.F. procedure, coming back means confronting layers of grief, guilt, and unresolved desire. Amidst her father’s death, her mother’s denial about her sexual orientation, and her ex-girlfriend rebuilding a life with a man, Tara grapples with navigating a multitude of emotions that force her to confront what home and belonging truly mean.
Karupy (2024)
Set in a house brimming with unsettling family dynamics and intergenerational trauma, this twelve-minute film unravels the chaos that follows when the matriarch, Karupy (Sumathy Balaram), calmly announces her decision to end her life. What begins as an ordinary birthday gathering slowly morphs into a claustrophobic confrontation, as buried resentments, guilt, and long-suppressed fears surface among family members. Each moment peels back another layer of tension, revealing how love, control, and despair intertwine in ways both haunting and heartbreakingly human.
Village Of Bastards (2024)
Amritansh Shukhla and Uday Thakur’s gripping socio-cultural documentary follows the patriarchally entrenched tradition of ancestral sex-work carried out in the village of Natpurwa, Uttar Pradesh. With girls as young as 15 getting into the inter-generational occupation of sex trade, this gut-wrenching feature brings to light the helplessness of the prostitutes, who continue to be exploited not just by the villagers, but also by the media and government.
Untouchable: Laughing Out Caste (2024)
Stand-up comedian Manjeet Sarkar’s feature-length documentary combines humor and social taboos into a potent mix, making you, the audience, confront uncomfortable truths. Spanning statewide tours, Sarkar uses the mic to vocalize his personal journey of growing up as a Dalit individual, spotlighting the murky intricacies of the oppressive Indian caste system through razor-sharp wit and insightful observations. Notably, Sarkar is also India’s first Dalit comedian to have toured nationally and performed at the United Nations.
P for Paparazzi (2024)
Diving into the life of Manoj, a Nepali photographer, the film captures the dizzying life of the paparazzi. Beyond the celebrity photo-ops, glitz and glamor, and the constant flare of flashlights, the Divya Kharnare film depicts the hidden complexities, moral dilemmas, medical hiccups, and financial constraints in the life of a paparazzi photographer that often go unnoticed to the public eye.
Threads In Tune (2024)
Syncing the melodious tunes of the harpsichord with the intricate workings of Indian looms, Threads In Tune adds a fantastical element to the arduous process of making rugs and throws. Showcasing the craftsmanship, step by step, the film combines unique cinematography while pulling focus on homegrown artisans’ modern tools to carry on timeless traditions. The film has won several awards, such as the Barcelona Indie Filmmakers Festival BARCIFF 2024 and the Prague Independent Film Festival 2025, to name a few.
Loop Line (2024)
Renuka Shahane’s Marathi animated film Loop Line follows the life of a middle-class housewife, bogged down by incessant chores and her husband’s chauvinistic behavior, who resorts to mental fantasies as a form of escapism. Using animation as a medium, Shahane’s directorial debut explores the grave yet never-ending cycle of domestic subjugation that is prevalent in Indian traditional households.
Kaisi Yeh Paheli (2025)
Resting at the intersection of an Agatha Christie-esque murder mystery and a slice-of-life drama, Kaisi Yeh Paheli teases a premise that’s far deeper and darker than what meets the eye. Set in the sleepy town of Kalimpong, the film dissects the turbulent relationship between Utam, a policeman, and his mother, as she attempts to join him in solving a compelling case that hits closer to home than either of them expected.
Dalit Subbaiah: Voice of The Rebels (2025)
Narrating the tale of the late Dalit revolutionary singer, writer, and activist Lenin Subbaiah, the award-winning M.K.P. Gridaran documentary shines a light on artistic expression as a socio-political tool for change. Subbaiah was also the founder of a music troupe called Viduthalai Kalai Kuzhu (Voice Of Liberation-A Cultural Troupe), which amplified caste-based issues and propagated Ambedkarite ideologies through music. Likewise, the feature-length film also brings to attention Margazhiyil Makkalisai, a radical musical festival helmed by Tamil rapper, singer, and songwriter Arivu. Using music as a catalyst, the documentary not only chronicles Subbaiah’s legacy but also underscores the plethora of non-hegemonic musical diversity within marginalized communities in India.
Chingam (2025)
Set against the rural Himanchali backdrop, Ajay and Radhika, two childhood sweethearts, find their way back to each other as life deals them both losing cards. The film captures how Ajay, a failed singer, and Radhika, now married, unravel the layers of love, regrets, and the magic of second chances. Directed by Abhay Sharma, the debut feature also has him acting as the male lead.
Sheness (2025)
This four-part anthology follows the lives of morally grey women as they navigate the complexities of their relationships in moments of heightened distress and turmoil. Less about justifying women’s wrongs and more about understanding what compels them to act, the Manuraj Dubey feature unapologetically unpacks the many layers of quirky feminine archetypes — from the apolitical woman, to the kleptomaniac, to a wife painting herself as a cheater just to get a divorce. At its core, it’s a visual compilation of what happens when women reach their boiling point. Revenge, absurdism, mania, and freedom; the film unapologetically and refreshingly confronts women’s wrongs.
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