Anupam Sharma is no stranger to film festivals. He recalls the “big heart” of Indian film festivals in Australia during the 1990s when as a film graduate, he engaged in initiatives that were supported by film veterans from Bollywood itself and others. One memorable moment was screening Kuch Kuch Hota Hai against the backdrop of the iconic Harbour Bridge during one of the first Indian film festivals he helped organise – Bosom, Belly, and Bollywood, along with the Australian Film Television and Radio School and filmmaker Safina Uberoi.
Sharma, who has since pioneered Australia’s film connections with Bollywood and India, is also the founding head of TEMPLE, a successful international film production and consultancy firm based at Disney Studios in Sydney. Now, he brings us the first-ever National Indian Film Festival of Australia (NIFFA), which launched on 19 February.
Melbourne will witness this delightful surprise with NIFFA from next week.
Speaking to The Indian Sun via Zoom from Adelaide, where NIFFA’s red carpet opening event is taking place as the festival travels across seven cities, Sharma shares, “As a filmmaker, my main goal was to offer my fellow Australians the most diverse, critically acclaimed, and engaging selection of Indian cinema ever showcased in Australia. I wanted to move away from Bollywood clichés, which is why the biggest stars at our festival are the films carefully chosen by our Nomination Council.”
The line-up features Australian and world premieres, along with retrospectives, showcasing over 40 films in various languages. This includes some rare languages that have never been screened in Australian theatres before, made possible by the support of India’s National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).
Talking about the inspiration behind the festival, Sharma explains that there was no platform to celebrate Indian cinema on a national level in Australia. “Back in 2009, there was nothing nationally to showcase Indian films,” he says. “Now, we have first-, second-, and third-generation Indians entering the film industry, but they still lack a platform to shine.”
Adds Sharma, “The Indian diaspora is now the second-largest in Australia, after the British, and the box office success of Indian films here is huge compared to the population percentage.
“What’s more, there are currently over $90 million worth of Australian stories with Indian connections, many of which have received development grants from Screen Australia, Screen Queensland, Screen NSW, and others. All this is happening, but there was still no platform to bring it all together.”
So, when Dendy Cinemas approached him, Sharma saw an opportunity. “I suggested supporting a national Indian film festival because I wanted to do something unique,” he says. “This festival is about creating a space where these stories and talents can be celebrated.”
Sharma is happy he has had tremendous response from all quarters.
He shares an anecdote from an Australian viewer who watched Supermen of Malegaon and expressed his gratitude, saying, “These are the kinds of films you rarely get to see.” While Sharma admires Satyajit Ray’s work and the classic beauty of India captured in black and white, he believes it is time to shift the focus to contemporary India and its evolving narratives.
Through NIFFA, Sharma is also championing industry initiatives. One key initiative involves mentoring five emerging Australian talents. “I reached out to Vivek Vaswani, Shah Rukh Khan’s mentor, and actress Tannishtha Chatterjee, whose directorial debut Roam Rome Mein will close the festival. Both have agreed to mentor five promising Australian talents,” he reveals.
Also, Forum Films, one of the largest distributors of Indian films in New Zealand and a proud supporter of NIFFA, will offer distribution support worth $50,000 to one independent film submitted that has not yet secured theatrical distribution in Australia.
Sharma emphasises that NIFFA’s initiative reflects a genuine engagement between industries, moving beyond the typical festival experience of greeting stars, taking selfies, and leaving. For example, any short film from India or Australia that has been selected but lacks funding to complete its sound and post-production will be provided with the necessary support to ensure its completion.
When asked what success looks like for NIFFA and how he envisions its future, Sharma says, “It’s a great start, and we are overwhelmed by the response. We have a diverse team working behind the scenes. Success, for me, is twofold. First, I would love to see more than 50 per cent of our audience come from non-Indian backgrounds—that would be a key milestone. Second, from our side, we are launching development grants worth thousands of dollars from next year to support Australian stories that explore Indian connections. Our aim is to help these ideas evolve into scripts.”
Reflecting on his journey, Sharma shares a personal insight: “When I finished my master’s and started working on my thesis, I realised I was caught in the ‘migrant crack’—not Indian enough for India and not Australian enough for Australia.” So, what he is doing now with NIFFA is finding a way to bridge that gap.
For Sharma, NIFFA is more than just a festival. “Every part of me is invested in this—selfishly, professionally, and passionately. The Indian in me is passionate about telling Australians about Indian cinema, while the Australian in me is eager to engage with the world’s largest film industry. As a filmmaker, I want to create a space for discussions about cinema, focusing on India and Australia because that’s my world. As an entrepreneur, I want to leave a legacy.”
This is a transformative moment for Sharma, one that aligns with the demands of the times.
For festival details, click here.
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