Running 2 to 5 July, the National Indian Film Festival of Australia returns with an expanded program and a growing national footprint
The National Indian Film Festival of Australia returns from 2 to 5 July 2026 with a larger footprint, a wider program and a clearer sense of purpose. After its debut last year, the festival has moved quickly from a new entrant on the calendar to a platform that is shaping how Indian cinema is seen and discussed across Australia.
For festival director Anupam Sharma, the shift has been tangible. “Last year we proved the idea. This year we proved the reach. NIFFA has grown from a festival into a platform, bigger in geography, bigger in industry relevance, and much focussed on films not celebrities As I say the biggest stars you will see at NIFFA are the films themselves.”
That emphasis on the films themselves runs through the 2026 program. The line-up spans 17 films across four days at Dendy Cinemas Coorparoo, with languages including Manipuri, Hindi, Assamese, Malayalam, Tamil, Odia, Kannada, Marathi and English. The mix reflects the many strands of Indian cinema today, from regional storytelling to contemporary narratives shaped by social change.
Sharma says the response from Australian audiences has gone beyond what organisers expected. “How open people have been. We expected strong support from the Indian diaspora, but what has really moved us is how many non-Indian Australians are using NIFFA to learn more about India. Cinema is a window to culture, and for many Australians today, chances are one of the families next door, one of the kids at school, or one of the people at work will be of Indian or South Asian background. People want to understand each other better, and film is helping that happen.”
The audience mix has become a defining feature of the festival. What began as a cultural event with a clear community base has expanded into a space where film lovers, students and general audiences are engaging with Indian cinema on its own terms. “Australians of all backgrounds and Cinephile and India lovers . We are seeing film lovers, students, regional audiences, multicultural families and many non-Indian Australians coming in because they are curious and open.”
The move into regional Australia has played a key role in that growth. The 2026 program builds on screenings and events held outside major cities last year, extending the festival’s reach into places that have had limited exposure to Indian films on the big screen. “Growing diaspora and that hunger to do more pioneering stuff, legacy stuff between Australia and India. Dubbo last year encouraged us and support from MUlticultral NSW , and Mayor of Geelng and NT helped us going deeper into regional cinema . Indian cinema in Australia is no longer confined to a few big-city pockets, and neither is the diaspora. The number of thanks we have received at sessions even with the audience is limited, thanking us for bringing great films, Australian premiers and on big screen. From Palace Hotel in Broken Hill to Araluen Arts Centre in Alice to Deck Chair it has been a cinematic experience.”
‘I see NIFFA becoming one of the most important India-facing screen platforms outside India. Not just a place to watch films, but a place where premieres, co-productions, distribution and cultural dialogue all intersect’
Curation has been central to maintaining that momentum. The selection process for 2026 was handled by an all-female Nomination Council, with films assessed on merit to ensure range and consistency. “With real care and real objectivity. Our all-female Nomination Council — Achala Datar, Mansi Joshi, Neeru Saluja, Amruta Apte, Aalisha and Rhea Raj Shinde — assessed and marked the films on merit. That has given us both discipline and range. And our trump card is simple: every film in our official selection is a premiere for Australia. Support from NFDC has been crucial in bringing great films as well.”
That approach has produced a program that balances established names with emerging voices. Sharma sees that balance as essential to the identity of the festival. “That balance is the festival. If you only do prestige cinema, you narrow the audience. If you only do recognisable titles, you flatten the conversation. NIFFA tries to reflect Indian cinema as it really exists — popular, political, regional, independent, classical and contemporary.”
Among the films drawing attention this year are titles that speak to both legacy and new directions. “Boong has been very special. Bandar gives the final leg of the festival real bite. And for Melbourne, Manthan sets the tone beautifully — it reminds audiences that NIFFA is about cinematic legacy and seriousness as much as it is about discovery and excitement.”
Across the program, Sharma notes a shift in how stories are being told. “Yes — more confidence in local specificity. Films are becoming more rooted in language, place, politics and memory. They are not trying to flatten themselves into one idea of India, and that makes them stronger.”
That shift is also reflected in how Indian cinema is being received in Australia. Audiences are moving past familiar labels and engaging with a wider range of narratives. “Yes, very much so. Once audiences get past the lazy shorthand of “Bollywood”, they are often surprised by the range, intelligence and emotional power of what they are seeing. That is one of the reasons this platform matters.”
Beyond the screenings, NIFFA is increasingly positioned as a link between the Australian and Indian screen industries. Sharma has worked on bringing Indian productions to Australia for decades, and he sees the relationship entering a new phase. “It is becoming more mature. Earlier it was often about locations and one-off shoots. Now it is about audiences, co-productions, investment, post-production, distribution and long-term partnerships. That is a much healthier relationship.”
There are early signs of that shift in the projects now being discussed around the festival. “Yes, and that is one of the most exciting shifts. There is more appetite now for genuine collaboration, not just service work. That is exactly where NIFFA can be useful — not only as a showcase, but as a connector.”
Policy settings have also helped create space for those collaborations. “It is absolutely central. We worked hard to help get the co-production treaty, and that is one of the reasons there is now more than $90 million worth of India-centric Australian screen stories in development, ready for the next phase. It gives the conversation real seriousness.”
At the same time, Sharma is clear that cultural exchange remains at the core of the festival’s purpose. “A very important one. Film can do quietly what public debate often fails to do — create empathy. NIFFA gives people a shared space to encounter each other through story rather than stereotype. IT is more than a festival given the current anti India narrative. It is a national platform for inclusive diverse robust conversations around community culture commerce and cinema.”
‘Film can do quietly what public debate often fails to do — create empathy. NIFFA gives people a shared space to encounter each other through story rather than stereotype’
Running a festival of this scale brings practical challenges, particularly in a competitive screen environment. Sharma acknowledges those pressures while pointing to steady progress. “It is challenging, but it is sustainable if it keeps building with credibility and purpose. The audience is there. The need is there. And the institutional support is starting to catch up. Still a gap between love for cinema nad proving that love by supporting an initiative like NIFFA.”
Support has come from a mix of institutions, industry figures and cultural partners, each contributing to the festival’s growth. “Institutional support has been crucial, but so has the quality of the people around the festival. We are very fortunate to have an inspiring guiding group across industry, community and culture, including figures like Stephen P. Jenner, Rajiee M. Shinde, and our First Nations advisors Jodie Bell and Richard Jameson. That kind of backing gives the platform depth. Our cultural partnerships with ACMI and Geelong Film festival, with WA Museum, MAGNT, Araluen in NT and many others is what gives us satisfaction and cultural core as a film festival.”
Commercial realities are also shaping the landscape. “Yes, because there is clear money., because the audience has made the case very clearly. Indian films are not a side category in Australia anymore. They are a real theatrical and cultural force. Commerce , not culture is the driving force here.”
For Sharma, the momentum around NIFFA in 2026 is driven by both audience demand and a growing sense of recognition within the industry. “I’m excited by the fact that NIFFA is no longer just being welcomed as an event, but increasingly recognised as a platform. I’m excited by the premieres, the response across the country, and the fact that real conversations around co-production and development are now happening around the festival. Travelling around Australia and meeting inspirational Aussies particularly of Indian origin has been divine.”
Opening night will again serve as a marker of that intent. “Energy, warmth and intent. For us, opening night is not just about glamour. It tells audiences that Indian cinema belongs on these screens, in these cities and in these conversations.”
Looking back, Sharma points to audience reactions in unexpected places as a turning point. “The moments that stayed with me were the emotional ones — seeing audiences in places where people never expected Indian cinema to be presented with such care and seriousness. Thanking us for bringing it to their town…That told me NIFFA was needed.”
‘NIFFA is more than a festival given the current anti-India narrative. It is a national platform for inclusive, diverse, robust conversations around community, culture, commerce, and cinema’
The next phase will build on that foundation, with a focus on growth, collaboration and industry impact. “I see NIFFA becoming one of the most important India-facing screen platforms outside India. Not just a place to watch films, but a place where premieres, co-productions, distribution and cultural dialogue all intersect. A sought after festival by film makers to be included in official selection.”
Regional Australia will remain central to that vision. “Yes, absolutely. Regional Australia is not a side project for us. It is central to NIFFA’s future.”
There are also plans to extend the festival’s role beyond exhibition into development and support for new work. “Yes. NIFFA should not only showcase films; it should help trigger new ones. We want it to become increasingly useful for talent discovery, project development and India-facing Australian stories.”
In many ways, that shift is already underway. “It already is. Every single film in our official selection this year is a premiere of some kind. That is a very strong statement. The next stage is to deepen the co-production side, because NIFFA is not just a film festival anymore — it is becoming a platform.”
As the 2026 edition approaches, the direction is clear. The festival is expanding its reach, deepening its connections and drawing in new audiences. What began as a cultural initiative now sits at the centre of a wider conversation about cinema, identity and collaboration between Australia and India.
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