DPIFF Appoints Zenil Shah as Festival Director, Signals New Management and a New Vision for the Festival

The appointment marks a significant new chapter for Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival, with a renewed emphasis on programming, audience experience, industry engagement and the evolving global footprint of Indian cinema.

Mumbai: Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival (DPIFF) has announced the appointment of Zenil Shah as its new Festival Director, marking a significant step in the festival’s next phase of leadership and evolution.

The appointment brings a new management perspective to one of India’s prominent cinema-focused festival platforms, with Shah set to bring together his extensive experience in live events, experiential marketing and large-scale productions with a deep-rooted understanding of cinematic storytelling and creative experiences.

With over a decade of professional experience spanning live events, experiential marketing, large-scale productions and cultural properties, Shah has built his career at the intersection of creativity and execution. His experience has involved translating ambitious concepts into large-scale audience experiences—an approach that is increasingly relevant to the way contemporary film festivals are being conceived and experienced globally.

What distinguishes Shah’s professional profile is the combination of experiential expertise and a formal foundation in cinema and creative arts. A graduate in Experiential Marketing from Whistling Woods International, he brings a cinematic lens to the creation and execution of large-scale experiences.

For Shah, this perspective extends beyond the conventional understanding of an event. Storytelling, narrative flow, scale, atmosphere and audience engagement become interconnected elements in creating an experience that resonates beyond the venue itself.

His appointment as Festival Director is therefore expected to bring this intersection of cinema, culture, creativity and live experiences into sharper focus as DPIFF moves into its next chapter.

A New Direction for DPIFF

The leadership transition comes with a broader vision for the festival, centred around stronger programming, elevated festival experiences, meaningful industry engagement and a forward-looking approach to Indian cinema’s global cultural footprint.

As audiences increasingly seek more immersive and meaningful interactions with cinema, film festivals have evolved beyond awards and screenings to become platforms for cultural dialogue, industry networking, talent recognition and memorable audience experiences.

It is against this changing landscape that Shah’s appointment assumes significance.

His background in experiential marketing and large-scale event execution brings an understanding of how creative vision can be transformed into compelling physical and emotional experiences, while his cinematic education provides a natural connection to the storytelling ecosystem at the heart of DPIFF.

Where Cinema Meets Experience

The next phase of DPIFF will be shaped by the convergence of these disciplines—cinema, storytelling, live experiences and cultural engagement.

Shah’s mandate as Festival Director represents an opportunity to approach the festival not merely as an annual event, but as a larger platform capable of creating a distinctive identity and experience for audiences, filmmakers and industry stakeholders.

With a decade of hands-on experience behind him, Shah steps into the role at a time when the expectations from major film festivals are expanding. Beyond the red carpet, the contemporary festival experience is increasingly defined by the quality of its programming, the strength of its industry conversations, the accessibility of its experiences and the cultural relevance it creates.

DPIFF’s new leadership signals an intention to respond to that evolution.

A New Chapter

The appointment of Zenil Shah as Festival Director marks the beginning of what DPIFF describes as a new chapter—one driven by new management, a renewed vision and a bigger stage for cinema.

As the festival moves forward, the focus will be on strengthening its programming and experiences while creating greater opportunities for engagement across the cinematic and creative ecosystem.

For DPIFF, the message is clear: new leadership, renewed ambition and a forward-looking vision for the future of cinema.

The next chapter of Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival begins with Zenil Shah at the helm as Festival Director.

For more details and official updates, visit: https://dpiff.in/news/