PANAJI: The 57th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will screen 159 international films representing 87 countries, alongside 76 Indian films across 18 languages, as Goa prepares to host the nine-day festival from November 20 to 28.
The festival, themed ‘Stories Without Borders’, will feature 13 indoor screening venues across Panaji, Porvorim, Margao and Ponda, along with open-air screenings at three locations. More than 7,000 delegates have registered so far, with registrations expected to increase in the days leading up to the festival.
At the curtain-raiser press conference in Panaji on Friday, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said Goa was ready to welcome the global film fraternity and estimated the state government's hosting expenditure at about Rs 30 crore. “Every November, Goa opens its doors as a vibrant home for storytellers from around the world. Great stories bring the world together, and once again Goa is ready to roll out the red carpet for global cinema,” Sawant said. He said IFFI has become an integral part of Goa's identity and cultural calendar, offering a chance to showcase the state, create opportunities for local businesses, and encourage young people to engage with the film industry.
According to National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC) Managing Director Dhiraj Singh, the festival received more than 1,900 film submissions from 137 countries across its various sections. The international programme will feature 159 films representing 87 countries, while the overall Indian Cinema section will showcase 76 films across 18 languages. The festival will present 151 premieres across four categories: nine world premieres, two international premieres, 24 Asian premieres and 116 Indian premieres. It will also feature 14 gala premieres.
The international programme will include 52 women filmmakers and 62 debut filmmakers. Of these, 10 women filmmakers and 12 first-time filmmakers are represented in the international competition sections. Singh said the number of premieres reflected IFFI's growing appeal among filmmakers. “There are many premieres, which is an indication that IFFI is considered to be a preferred destination for many filmmakers. They wait for the occasion to premiere their film,” he said.
Festival Director Ashutosh Gowariker said the theme ‘Stories Without Borders’ was chosen to reflect cinema's ability to connect people across languages, cultures and geographical boundaries. “Borders today are not only lines on a map; they're also habits. A story is one of the few things that can cross such a line without a passport,” he said. Explaining the idea behind the theme, Gowariker said watching a film from another country, even in a language one does not understand, could create an emotional connection between audiences and characters. “This is not a slogan for a poster; it is the question we put to every section and every screening. Does this film connect the audience where they have not been?” he said.
The festival will open with Fatherland by Paweł Pawlikowski, feature I Matter by Alina Șerban as its mid-festival film and conclude with We Are All Strangers by Anthony Chen. Spain will be the country of honour, while Russia will be the partner country, with specially curated packages showcasing cinema from both nations. The festival will also place a strong focus on BRICS, with a curated selection of 21 films from its 11 member countries, along with films from partner countries. India's Ramayana will open the BRICS film segment. Gowariker said the selection would provide audiences with an opportunity to discover cinematic narratives and cultures that may not otherwise receive exposure through mainstream OTT platforms.
The international programme will also feature films recognised at major international festivals, including winners from Venice, Berlin and Rotterdam. Eighteen films in the lineup have been selected as their respective countries' Oscar entries, with several set to be screened in India for the first time. The international competition will feature 15 films and five awards, with filmmaker Anand L Rai heading the international jury. The jury also includes members from Argentina, Romania, Colombia and Thailand. The festival has increased its prize money this year. The Best Debut Feature Film Competition and the ICFT UNESCO Gandhi Medal will be the other major international competition categories.
The Indian Panorama, a key component of the broader Indian Cinema section, will feature 25 feature films and 20 non-feature films. The feature film jury is chaired by Madhur Bhandarkar, while Himanshu Shekhar Khatua heads the non-feature film jury. The opening films of the Indian Panorama will be Dhurandhar in the feature category and Becoming, a film in the Ladakhi language, in the non-feature category. A specially curated package of six award-winning films from the Mumbai International Film Festival will also be screened across documentary, short fiction and animation categories. In addition, IFFI will feature a dedicated selection of Goan films. When asked about the titles in the Goan film package, Gowariker said he would share the details separately.
The festival will also recognise emerging Indian talent through the Best Debut Director of Indian Feature Film award, while a Best OTT Series award will form part of the Indian Cinema section. According to Singh, the Indian Panorama juries examined 376 feature films and 351 non-feature films, while the OTT jury reviewed 46 web series.
IFFI 2026 will introduce two new curated sections, Animation and Films About Films, with five titles in each. The Animation section will include Brad Bird's feature-length film Ray Gunn, while Films About Films will feature Maverick: The Epic Adventures of David Lean, exploring the work and craft of filmmaking. Gowariker said the new sections were introduced to broaden the festival's programming and bring greater attention to different forms of cinema and the art of filmmaking. The Films About Films section, he said, was included following requests from established filmmakers to place the craft of cinema at the forefront. Other curated sections include Emerging Filmmakers, Docu-Montage, Experimental Films, Mission Life, Macabre Cinema and Cinema of the World.
The festival will mark the centenary of legendary Polish filmmaker Andrzej Wajda with a special retrospective, supported by the Polish Embassy. The restored classics section will feature F W Murnau's Sunrise, which completes 100 years. The festival will also commemorate the birth centenaries of seven late Indian cinema personalities: Prem Nazir, Suryakant Mandre, Rajkumar, Uttam Kumar, Shakti Samanta, O P Nayyar and Ravi. Their contributions to Hindi, Bengali, Marathi and Malayalam cinema will be remembered through selected screenings. IFFI will also pay tribute to three late artistes: filmmaker Bharathiraja, actor-director K Bhagyaraj and actor Nana Patekar. The festival will screen 16 Vayathinile, associated with Bharathiraja, Mundhanai Mudichu, directed by Bhagyaraj, and Diksha, featuring Patekar, in recognition of their contributions to Indian cinema. The programme will mark 50 years of Manthan and Kabhi Kabhie, both released in 1976, and 25 years of Gowariker's Lagaan.
The programme will include 14 In-Conversation sessions and master classes at Kala Academy from November 21 to 27. The sessions will feature personalities such as Girish Kasaravalli, who completes 50 years in cinema, cinematographer John Seale, Farhan Akhtar, Madhur Bhandarkar and Gowariker. The Creative Minds of Tomorrow initiative will return for its sixth edition in association with the Film and Television Institute of India, Pune. From thousands of entries, 100 participants across 13 disciplines will be selected and divided into five teams to make films over two to three days at locations across Goa.
The 20th edition of WAVES Film Bazaar will be another major attraction, with the event expanding its industry-focused activities. Around 1,000 delegates have registered, while more than 150 production houses have expressed interest in participating. The Film Bazaar will feature a Screenwriters Lab with eight selected projects from 213 entries, alongside a Co-Production Market featuring 25 selected projects. Other initiatives will include viewing rooms, a Work-in-Progress Lab, country pavilions and a technology showcase. Singh said the Film Bazaar had grown into an important component of IFFI, providing opportunities for filmmakers to connect with producers, investors, distributors and international partners. Several states will also have stalls to promote their film policies and incentives.
Information and Broadcasting Ministry Secretary Chanchal Kumar said WAVES Film Bazaar had developed into an important meeting ground for filmmakers, producers, writers and industry professionals. “Its co-production market, screenwriters lab, viewing room and work-in-progress lab help connect creative minds with professional networks, financing and international opportunities,” he said. Kumar also underlined the growing role of technology in filmmaking, pointing to digital platforms, animation, visual effects, immersive media and artificial intelligence as areas opening new creative possibilities. He said technology must strengthen the storyteller's imagination while preserving creative expression and the distinctiveness of stories.
Responding to a question on support for the local film industry, Sawant said the government was extending financial assistance to Goan filmmakers through its film financing scheme and facilitating shooting permissions through a single-window clearance system. “We will provide maximum help to Goan producers, Goan artists, actors, directors and languages. The film city is a big project for the state, but definitely we will come up with a film city in the future on a PPP basis,” he said. Sawant said the government wanted to strengthen opportunities for local talent and encourage more Goan filmmakers to participate in the industry.
On the expected number of delegates, Gowariker said registrations had crossed 7,000 and were continuing to rise. The opening ceremony's chief guest is yet to be finalised and is expected to be announced in the coming days. The Chief Minister said the government was coordinating arrangements covering screening venues, transport, hospitality, public facilities and local support to ensure a comfortable experience for delegates and visitors.
The festival will also feature seven family-friendly films, comprising four Indian and three international titles, at open-air screening locations, including Miramar beach. Inviting audiences to explore films beyond their usual choices, Gowariker urged people to watch films in unfamiliar languages and from countries they had never visited. “Let the subtitles do their work. I think you'll find that the border was never as wide as you thought,” he said.
