No Women on IFFI 2025 Jury: Netizens Question Gender Equality in Cinema

Panaji, Goa, India: The 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) is set to take place in Goa from November 20 to 28, 2025. The event will feature more than 240 films representing around 80 countries. Acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur has been named as the festival director, while Raj Bundela, a noted director, producer, and actor, has been appointed as the Chairman of the Jury for the Indian Panorama segment.

The festival organisers recently revealed the list of jury members for the Indian Panorama section. The panel includes Krishna Hebbale, Kamlesh K., Arun Bakshi, Asim Sinha, Ashok Saran, Sukumar Jatania, B.S. Basavaraju, Amresh Chakraborty, Napoleon Thanga, and Jadumoni Dutta.

However, the absence of even a single female member on the panel has drawn widespread criticism.

Social media users have voiced their disapproval, questioning the lack of gender representation. Comments such as “Is there no woman qualified enough to serve on the jury?” and “Is there a separate jury only for women’s films?” have been widely shared online, reflecting public frustration over the issue.

Adding to the debate, Konkani filmmaker and writer S. Laxmikant also criticised IFFI’s approach. He expressed disappointment that his acclaimed short film ‘Unsesao’, despite winning multiple awards, was not included in the screenings.

This year’s Indian Panorama will showcase films from various regional languages, including ‘Sankranthi Vazhunnam’ (Telugu), ‘Amaran’ (Tamil), ‘Thudarum’ (Malayalam), ‘Su From So’ (Kannada), ‘Ground Zero’, ‘Tanvi the Great’, ‘Chhava’, and ‘The Bengali Files’ (Hindi).