Lucknow, 13th September 2025: The Lucknow International Film Festival was officially launched at PVR Cinemas, Saharaganj, Lucknow. The festival is founded and organized by Ayub Khan, with Parag Chahpeker serving as the Festival Director. Renowned actor and jury member Rakesh Bedi and B. N. Tiwari, President of the Film Federation of India, producer and director, were present at the launch.

As announced on the official website, the Lucknow International Film Festival 2026 will host film screenings on 15th April 2026 from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM and on 16th April 2026 from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The Award Function will be held on 16th April 2026 from 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM. The screening list will be announced on 2nd April 2026, with a total of 210 films selected for the festival.

This edition features a special short film competition on the theme “Sangam,” inviting filmmakers to submit short films of 5 to 25 minutes highlighting its cultural, spiritual, and historical significance. A five-member jury will select the top five films, which will be awarded cash prizes, trophies, and certificates. The First Prize carries a cash award of ₹1,11,000.

The director of the winning film will receive an opportunity to direct a short film under the banner of CineDream Films for the next edition of the festival. Additionally, actors, actresses, and technicians from the selected films will be considered for CineDream Films’ upcoming Hindi feature film “Shubh Sangam,” written and directed by Ayub Khan and shot entirely in Uttar Pradesh.

The shooting of “Shubh Sangam” is scheduled to begin in November 2025, with participation from both emerging talent and established names from the Hindi film industry.

Kal Aur Aaj Personality Awards

The Kal Aur Aaj (U.P.) Personality Awards is a special segment dedicated to honoring the rich artistic legacy of Uttar Pradesh by celebrating legendary icons of the past (Kal) alongside distinguished contemporary personalities (Aaj) across key creative fields. This initiative bridges generations by paying tribute to timeless contributions while recognizing present-day excellence in cinema, music, literature, and performance arts.

🌟 Kal (Legends)

• Actor: Bharat Bhushan / Sujit Kumar / Nazir Hussain / Murad / Raju Srivastava
• Actress: Nargis Dutt / Madhubala
• Writer: Rahi Masoom Raza / Kamal Pandey / Govind Moonis
• Music Director: Naushad / Ravindra Jain
• Lyrics Writer: Shakeel Badayuni / Gauhar Kanpuri
• Comic Actor: Kanhaiyalal
• Kavi (Poet): Harivansh Rai Bachchan

🌟 Aaj (Present)

• Actor: Raj Babbar / Ali Fazal / Jimmy Sheirgill / Naseeruddin Shah / Nawazuddin Siddiqui / Amitabh Bachchan / Ravi Kishan
• Actress: Priyanka Chopra / Shabana Azmi / Anushka Sharma
• Writer: Kamlesh Pandey / Kamal Pandey
• Lyrics Writer: Sameer Anjaan / Javed Akhtar
• Music Director: Vishal Bhardwaj
• Comic Actor: Rajpal Yadav
• Director / Filmmaker: Muzaffar Ali / Anubhav Sinha / Tigmanshu Dhulia / Sudhir Mishra / Boney Kapoor / Rajesh Ram Singh
• Kavi (Poet): To be announced