India, Dec. 17 -- The 24th Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) 2026 will be held from January 15 to 22, 2026; and will be themed around the birth centenary of legendary filmmaker, actor and director Guru Dutt. The announcement was made by festival director and veteran filmmaker Jabbar Patel in the presence of playwright Satish Alekar, Sabina Sanghvi, trustees of the Pune Film Foundation, and senior film critic and chairman of the film selection committee Samar Nakhate at a press conference in Pune on Tuesday.

Elaborating on the theme, Patel said, "Guru Dutt's journey remains one of the most inspiring chapters of Indian cinema. His deep connection with Pune, Prabhat Studio and his early struggles shaped a filmmaker who introduced dark...