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The 57th Film Festival of India (IFFI) will bring together filmmakers, cinema enthusiasts and creative voices from across the world in Goa from 20 to 28 November 2026, under the theme ‘Stories Without Borders’. Reflecting its growing global reach, the festival has received over 1,900 film submissions from 137 countries and will showcase more than 150 international films representing 86 countries, creating a vibrant platform for cross-cultural exchange, diverse storytelling and cinematic excellence.
BREAKING: Dhurandhar to OPEN Indian Panorama at 57th IFFI Goa 2026 while Ramayana to open BRICS segment; The Kerala Story 2 enters PRESTIGIOUS Competition
The Curtain Raiser Press Conference of the 57th Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2026, held at Taj Cidade de Goa Horizon, Goa, on November 13, was inaugurated by the Chief Minister of Goa, Dr Pramod Sawant, who unveiled the festival’s expansive programme celebrating Indian and international cinema. Expressing pride in Goa’s association with IFFI, he described the festival as an integral part of the state’s cultural identity and calendar. He also highlighted the state government’s preparations to welcome the global film fraternity, with arrangements for screening venues, transport, hospitality and public facilities.
The Curtain Raiser Press event was also attended by M Delilah M. Lobo, Vice Chairperson, Entertainment Society of Goa, Chanchal Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, Krishna Kumar, Chairperson, NFDC, and Ashutosh Gowariker, Festival Director, IFFI 2026, Prabhat, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; Madhur Bhandarkar, Chairperson, Feature Film Jury; Himanshu Shekhar Khatua, Chairperson, Non-Feature Film Jury; Deepak Mandekar, CEO, Entertainment Society of Goa; and Dheeraj Singh, Managing Director, NFDC, & Smita Vats Sharma, DG West Zone PIB.
The opening film, Fatherland, directed by Paweł Pawlikowski, follows Nobel laureate Thomas Mann and his daughter Erika as they travel through post-war, divided Germany in 1949, exploring the political and personal divisions of the time. The film received the Best Director Award at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival and was also nominated for the Sydney Film Prize 2026.
The 57th Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2026 will showcase I Matter, directed by Alina Șerban, as its Mid-Fest Film. A 101-minute film co-produced by Romania, Germany and Belgium, it features dialogues in Romanian and Romani, bringing a diverse European cinematic perspective to the festival.
Gala Premieres
The Gala Premieres segment will feature 14 screenings, with participation from 87 countries showcasing a curated selection of films and providing audiences an opportunity to experience diverse cinematic stories and acclaimed filmmaking.
The Country of Honour: Spain
The 57th Film Festival of India (IFFI) highlights Spain as the Country of Honour, showcasing four Spanish films: The Bad Son, directed by Jaime Lorente; Trinidad; Bitter Christmas, directed by Pedro Almodóvar; and Persegiuiendo a Michael, directed by Jaime Machia. The selection celebrates Spanish cinema and its diverse storytelling, bringing Spanish filmmakers and cinematic perspectives to the international platform of IFFI.
Partner Country: Russia
The 57th Film Festival of India (IFFI) presents Russia as the Partner Country, with a special showcase of four films representing the diversity and creative richness of Russian cinema. The featured films include Four (Четыре), New Home, Bo Bo, directed by Anastasia Kuzina, and Sidney Lumet’s Birthday. The showcase provides Indian and international audiences with an opportunity to discover contemporary Russian filmmaking, engage with its evolving cinematic landscape and appreciate the cultural and artistic exchange between India and Russia through the medium of cinema.
IFFI 2026 Introduces Two New Segments
The 57th Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2026 has introduced two new segments this year to broaden its cinematic offerings and celebrate diverse forms of storytelling. The first segment, Animation, will feature five outstanding films, showcasing creativity and innovation in animated cinema. The second segment, Films About Films, will also present five films and has been introduced in response to suggestions from renowned filmmakers, with the objective of bringing the art and craft of filmmaking to the forefront.
IFFI 2026 Places Special Focus on BRICS Cinema
Another key highlight of the 57th Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2026 will be its special focus on BRICS cinema. India’s Ramayana will be the opening film of the BRICS segment, which will showcase films from all 11 member countries, along with contributions from partner countries, offering audiences an opportunity to explore diverse cinematic traditions and storytelling from across the BRICS nations.
Indian Panorama
A total of 76 films are being showcased under the Indian Cinema section in 18 different languages, reflecting the country’s diverse storytelling traditions and creative excellence. The selection process received 404 feature film submissions, while the non-feature category received 358 submissions. The Best Web Series (OTT) category received 46 eligible entries.
Some of the significant Pan-India and Bollywood films in the Indian Panorama section are Kantara: A Legend Chapter – 1, The Great Grand Superhero - Aliens Ka Aagman, The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond, Ohh My Dog, Krishnavataram Part 1: The Heart, Hanuman Ansh, etc.
Nana Patekar to be honoured
A heartfelt tribute to late Nana Patekar will be paid with a screening of his iconic film Natsamrat (2016) that too under the open sky at Miramar Beach.
The Competition
As per the video posted on IFFI's social media handles, the films in the Competition include several movies from around the world. Interestingly, one of the films in the competition is none other than The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond.
‘Dhurandhar’ and ‘Becoming’ to Open Indian Panorama at IFFI 2026
The Indian Panorama section of the 57th Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2026 will open with Dhurandhar, a Hindi feature film, and Becoming, a Ladakhi-language non-feature film. Bringing together films from two distinct linguistic and cinematic backgrounds, the opening selection reflects IFFI’s vision of celebrating India’s diverse storytelling traditions and showcasing cinema without borders.
Centenary Celebrations
IFFI 2026 will celebrate the birth centenaries of eminent personalities of Indian cinema, paying tribute to legendary filmmakers Shakti Samanta and Raj Khosla, actors Uttam Kumar, Suryakant Mandhare, Prem Nazir and Raj Kumar, and renowned music composers O P Nayyar and Ravi. The festival will honour their exceptional contributions to Indian cinema and their enduring legacy in shaping the country’s cinematic and musical heritage.
Closing film
The closing film of the 57th IFFI, We Are All Strangers, directed by Anthony Chen, represents Singapore and has a runtime of 157 minutes. Presented in Mandarin and English, the film brings the festival to a close with a distinctive cinematic offering from contemporary Singaporean cinema.
More Pages: The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond Box Office Collection , The Kerala Story 2: Goes Beyond Movie Review
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