Western Australia backs NIFFA
Garhwal Post Bureau
Perth, 17 Apr: The National Indian Film Festival of Australia (NIFFA) has made a strong statement in Western Australia, opening its Perth edition with a sold-out red carpet gala and visible backing from a powerful mix of government, civic, academic and cultural institutions. With support from the City of Perth, Department of Creative Industries, Murdoch University, WA Museum, State Library of Western Australia, Reading Cinemas Belmont, the Consulate of India in Perth, and the Indian Society of Western Australia, NIFFA’s WA chapter has become much more than a festival stop.
In just its second year, NIFFA has grown into what organisers describe as the largest national celebration of Indian cinema anywhere outside India, spanning 13+ cities and presenting 32 films in official selection across 15 Indian languages, all screening as Australian, International or World Premieres. In Perth, the festival opened with BOONG, billed as the first Indian film to win a BAFTA, and continues with major titles including ASSI in its special tribute to filmmaker Anubhav Sinha, alongside Tanvi The Great, Manthan, and a disability and inclusion workshop.
The bigger story in Perth, however, is strategic. The WA edition became the stage for the unveiling of Punjab Focus and the official launch of PTC ANZ, led by Dr Parwinder Kaur, MLC. Organisers also flagged the first steps towards Punjabi co-production investment between India and Australia, with Western Australia currently proposed as a production base.
Strong supporter of NT and WA editions of NIFFA Consul General of India in Perth, Kajri Biswas said “We are proud to support NIFFA’s growing presence in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Festivals like NIFFA do far more than showcase cinema, they deepen cultural understanding, strengthen community ties, and create lasting bridges between India and Australia. It is encouraging to see WA and NT becoming important parts of this national platform for Indian storytelling.”
Festival Director Anupam Sharma said the Perth edition showed WA was no longer on the sidelines of the India-Australia screen relationship. “NIFFA’s Western Australian edition is not just another festival stop, it is a statement that Perth and WA belong in the national and international conversation around Indian cinema… That is exactly what NIFFA was built for,” he said.
For Dr Parwinder Kaur, the festival is about turning identity into opportunity. “Stories have the power to connect continents… this is not only about celebrating identity on screen, but about unlocking real opportunities for collaboration between Western Australia and India, turning shared stories into shared success,” she said.
The Lord Mayor of Perth, Bruce Reynolds, framed the festival as a marker of the city’s global ambition. “Perth is proud to welcome NIFFA and the energy, diversity and international attention it brings…” the Mayor said, adding that festivals of this calibre strengthen ties with global communities and position Perth as an outward-looking city ready to engage with major creative industries.
Meanwhile, Rajiee M Shinde, CEO of PTC Entertainment, called the launch of PTC ANZ and Punjab Focus a significant step for Punjabi storytelling on the world stage. “Western Australia offers a fresh and exciting base for future collaboration, and we see tremendous potential here for creative partnerships, audience growth and meaningful screen investment,” she said.
Taken together, the Perth edition shows how NIFFA is evolving into something larger than a film festival. In Western Australia, it has become a platform where cinema, community, cultural diplomacy and future investment are converging — and where Indian storytelling is being welcomed not as a niche interest, but as part of the state’s mainstream cultural future.
