IFP, previously known as India Film Project, started out as a filmmaking challenge in 2011. It has grown, since 2016, into one of Asia's largest content festivals. It serves as a platform for creators across fields such as cinema, literature, design and music. Over 85,000 attendees from more than 45 countries have been part of the festival so far.

The festival hosts the world's largest filmmaking challenge, the 50-Hour Filmmaking Challenge, during which participants, working with a team of up to 20 crew members (excluding the cast) are supposed to write, shoot, edit and upload a film on a given theme within 50 hours. The theme is revealed to them at the beginning of 50-hour time period. Filmmakers can enter in one of three categories, namely, professional, amateur and mobile. The top five films from each category are screened at the festival and made available to watch on its YouTube Channel.

Similarly, there are creative challenges for musicians, writers, storytellers, poets and visual artists. In the 50-Hour Music Challenge, participants have to write the lyrics and compose the melody of a song on a given theme, record, mix and master it and upload it within 50 hours. The categories are pop, hip-hop, electronic, folk-fusion and rock, and the winning songs in each are made into a music video distributed on the IFP YouTube channel. In the 7-Days Writing Challenge, participants write a script/story on a given theme within seven days for a chance to have it made into a film. In the 7-Days Design Challenge, contestants create a unique design in the categories of poster design, fan art, digital collage and digital illustrations to win an award and get their art exhibited at the festival.

The on-ground festival follows the creative challenges. Here filmmakers, screenwriters and actors, musicians, comedians, content creators and thought leaders of the creative community gather to converse and interact with audiences in a series of interviews, Ask Me Anything sessions, workshops and masterclasses.

Filmmakers Alexander Payne, Ashutosh Gowarikar, Asif Kapadia, Guneet Monga, Mira Nair and Vikramaditya Motwane; actors Ayushmann Khurrana, Bhumi Pednekar, Naseeruddin Shah, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Pankaj Tripathi, Rajkumar Rao, Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Kaushal; writers Anuja Chauhan, Ashwin Sanghi, Emma Donoghue and Tom Perotta; musicians Ankur Tewari, Brodha V, Naezy, Prateek Kuhad, Ritviz and Vidya Vox; and content creators Bhuvan Bam, Dolly Singh, Kusha Kapila and Prajakta Koli have been part of IFP over the years.

The festival, held online in 2020 and 2021, returned to its in-person format in 2022. Actors Tahir Raj Bhasin and Vidya Balan, content creators Leeza Mangaldas and Rachana Ranade, photographer Raghu Rai, and musicians Aditya A., Anyasa and Sriya Lenka were among the speakers at the event in 2022.

The upcoming edition of the India Film Project will be held between 12 and 13 October 2024.

Check out more multiarts festivals here.