The School Cinema International Film Festival (SCIFF 2025) runs from Nov 14–30, bringing 100 films from 25 countries to 40,000+ schools. It promotes creative learning through cinema, aligning with NEP 2020.
School Cinema International Film Festival 2025: This year, children in schools across the country will receive a special gift on Children’s Day 2025. From November 14 (Children’s Day) to November 30, the School Cinema International Film Festival (SCIFF 2025) will be organized in government and private schools. In this, children will be introduced to films from around the world. Over 100 selected films from 25 countries, including France, Spain, Germany, Kyrgyzstan, and the UAE, will be screened. During the event, children in more than 40,000 government and 1,000 private schools will experience world cinema.
What is SCIFF and what is its purpose?
SCIFF (School Cinema International Film Festival) is an international film festival that gives children a new perspective on learning, understanding, and thinking through cinema. According to Festival Director and LXL Ideas Founder Syed Sultan Ahmed, SCIFF started with a very simple but strong idea that cinema should not be limited to the elite class or film festivals, but should reach every child. Films are not just entertainment, but a learning tool that gives children a new way of seeing, feeling, and thinking. According to him, any school in India can now organize its own film festival through SCIFF and bring the world’s best stories directly to the classroom for children.
The festival’s objective aligns with NEP 2020
According to Syed Sultan Ahmed, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 also emphasizes creative learning and education through various mediums, in which cinema is also considered an important tool. He says that through SCIFF, they want to prepare a generation that watches films with understanding, learns with curiosity, and expresses itself with sensitivity. Every frame becomes a classroom, and every story teaches a life lesson.
SCIFF is supported by film festivals worldwide
SCIFF 2025 is also gaining significant international recognition. Global festivals like the Annecy International Animation Film Festival (France), AniMela Festival (India), Giffoni Film Festival (Italy), and ZERO PLUS International Film Festival (Russia) have supported SCIFF. Additionally, France and Spain have joined as partner countries.
A new way of learning with the WATCH, LEARN, MAKE framework through SCIFF
SCIFF works on the WATCH, LEARN, MAKE framework to connect children with cinema. This includes-
WATCH Cinema: Schools are transformed into mini-theaters where age-appropriate films are screened for children, inspiring them to think and discuss.
LEARN Cinema: Children are taught the behind-the-scenes of filmmaking, with workshops on scriptwriting, camera, sound, and editing. Additionally, film education is provided to remote students through online masterclasses.
MAKE Cinema: In this, students showcase their creativity by making their own films and also get the opportunity to be part of the youth jury in the next year’s festival.
Festival has reached millions of children so far
Last year, SCIFF connected with over 23,000 schools and more than 100,000 students. Started in 2017, the festival has now reached over 10 million children and more than 60,000 schools. It was previously known as the International Kids Film Festival (IKFF). It has now become a platform that combines art, education, and social understanding.