The Northern Territory Government has backed the expansion of the National Indian Film Festival of Australia into Darwin and Alice Springs, marking the first annual Indian film festival to be held across both locations with multi-year support.
Tourism and Events NT and Screen Territory have joined the initiative, giving the festival a presence in the Territory as it broadens its national footprint. NT Minister for Arts Jinson Charls is set to open the Darwin program on 30 April, with the Alice Springs leg scheduled to begin on 11 June.
The move places Darwin and Alice Springs within a growing India–Australia screen and cultural exchange, as links between cinema, tourism and diaspora engagement continue to develop.
Welcoming the festival, NT Minister for Tourism and Hospitality and Minister for Major Events Marie-Clare Boothby said, “The National Indian Film Festival is the only festival of its kind in Australia, celebrating connection, community, and cinema in its many forms. The Finocchiaro Government is proud to support the National Indian Film Festival and will continue to back Territory stories and Territory talent.”
Festival director and founder Anupam Sharma said the support reflected confidence in the long-term cultural relationship. “For the Northern Territory Government to back NIFFA across multiple years is a powerful vote of confidence in the future of India–Australia cultural engagement and my team’s vision and hard work. As a film maker who shot one of the first Bollywood films in NT, I am delighted to bring Indian cinema to the Top End and the Red Centre. This is exactly the kind of ambitious bridge-building NIFFA was created to do.”
The program will open with a red carpet gala at Deckchair Cinema, followed by screenings at Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. The festival will then travel to Araluen Arts Centre for the Alice Springs program.
“The National Indian Film Festival is the only festival of its kind in Australia, celebrating connection, community, and cinema in its many forms. The Finocchiaro Government is proud to support the National Indian Film Festival and will continue to back Territory stories and Territory talent”
Support has also come from the Indian Consulate General Perth and Indian community associations across the Territory. An NT Cinema Committee will be established to guide future activity.
Organisers say the expansion will include celebrity visits, community forums and workshops aimed at building links between Indian cinema, tourism and the screen sector.
The inclusion of Darwin and Alice Springs broadens the reach of Indian cinema in Australia, moving beyond major metropolitan centres as engagement between India and Australia grows across trade, migration, education and culture.
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