Lights, Camera, PUFF! The Pondicherry University Film Festival 2025, Celebrating the love for Cinema

On March 17, 2025, the Pondicherry University Film Festival (PUFF) kickstarted at the Department of Electronic Media and Mass Communication, Pondicherry University. The event saw a plethora of films of different genres like regional cinema, documentaries and art films among others. The movies were screened at three distinct venues: Medai (Auditorium), Thirai (Classroom 1), and Parvai (Classroom 2). The movies were selected based on weeks of student-led curation, encompassing suggestions and discussions. 

Following the screenings, the festival’s inaugural ceremony featured filmmaker Adhithya Baby, who discussed her creative process and the inspiration for her works, “Cupid Saw the Star” and “Neelamudi.” Dr. Radhika Khanna, the Head of the department (i/c), delivered the special address, followed by the inauguration ceremony, officiated by Dr. S. Arulselvan. Filmmaker Adhithya captivated the audience with her words, followed by a felicitation address by Dr. T. Balasaravanan, Associate Professor, DEMMC.

After every screening, the students in the organizing committee took feedback from the audience about the films and asked them about their experiences. The highlights of the day were films like Udaan, The Japanese Wife, Neelamudi, and Into the Inferno. Overall, the first day of Puff was a fusion of movies of different flavours, the excitement and hard work of the student coordinators, and the curiosity of the audience.

– Written By Khyati Singh

-Edited By Rupam Shukla