Garhwal Post Bureau
Goa, 22 Nov: Australia’s first and only National Indian Film Festival has announced its 2026 Edition with massive national expansion into regional Australia, a power-packed Advisory Council, and historic MoUs with NFDC India & IFFI, making it the biggest national celebration of Indian cinema outside India.
NIFFA, the National Indian Film Festival of Australia, today announced its 2026 edition with an unprecedented expansion and a board of Australian Members of Parliament, Leaders, and Prominent Figures.
In a landmark development for global Indian cinema, NIFFA has also signed a historic MoU with the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC India) and the International Film Festival of India (IFFI). This collaboration places NIFFA on the world festival map as the definitive platform for showcasing India’s cinematic power to Australian and global audiences.
Western Australia’s first Sikh Member of Parliament Dr Parwinder Kaur, Kings Counsel Brian Hayes, NSW Member of Parliament Warren Kirby, Minister Jinson Charls from Northern Territory, MPA Vice President of Communications – Asia Pacific Stephen Jenner, NSW Member of Parliament Charishma Kaliyanda, are part of the national advisory council that will guide and lead the festival which has become more of a national Australian platform for engagements with India and Indians.
Another addition this year is ‘His Excellency Recommends’, a curated section of five Indian films which the Indian High Commissioner wants Australia to see.
Spanning seven Australian capital cities of Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Darwin, and Brisbane, the festival is the brainchild of Australia’s most well-known Indian-origin filmmaker Anupam Sharma. The national footprint is supported by NIFFA’s growing presence across regional Australia, a unique phenomenon unmatched by any other Indian film festival worldwide.
The 2026 regional edition of the festival will also take place in Broken Hill, Alice Springs, Dubbo, Leeton, Griffith, and Geelong. More centres are being added over the next several weeks, reflecting NIFFA’s cultural momentum across the country.
NIFFA’s rapid rise comes at a time when Australia’s immigration narrative is evolving dramatically. With India now the largest source of new migrants to Australia and Punjabi becoming the fastest growing language, NIFFA has grown beyond the boundaries of a film festival, becoming a national platform for engaging with India, multicultural inclusion, and diverse storytelling.
The surge of Indian and South Asian communities into regional Australia has created both a cultural hunger and a cultural opportunity. Local councils, arts bodies, and screen agencies are turning to NIFFA to create a cohesive national platform for meaningful engagement, community-building, and cinematic celebration.
Indian cinema has not only won hearts in Australia, it has won the Australian box office.
In a trend described by analysts as historic, Indian films are now outperforming Australian films at Australia’s own box office, demonstrating both the commercial power and the cultural impact of Indian cinema across the country. NIFFA will offer one Indian film distribution deal for ANZ Territory funded by Forum Films, one of the biggest and oldest distributors of Indian cinema in India, Fiji, and NZ.
This seismic shift, combined with the Australia–India Co-Production Treaty, has positioned Australia as a strategic global gateway for Indian cinema, making NIFFA the natural national anchor for this new cinematic era.
NIFFA 2026 will take place from the second half of March 2026, with film submissions closing on 20 January 2026. The programme will be announced on Australia Day 2026 which is also India’s Republic Day.
Festival highlights for 2026 include all the ones from 2025 and a new addition called Co-Production Pitch Forum, connecting Indian and Australian producers with funding bodies, studios, and platforms with one film getting a co-production and distribution deal.
The success of NIFFA early this year has resulted in all its partners returning for the second year including DENDY Cinemas, NDTV, SBS, Marriott, NFDC, International Film Festival of India, Murdoch University, and a crucial partnership with Australia India Business Council which will celebrate its 40th year in 2026. Chair of AIBC Deepak Raj Gupta said: “AIBC welcomed Australia’s first and only national Indian film festival early this year and supported such a pioneering initiative. We are delighted to support NIFFA for 2026 as it expands to many regional centres. AIBC looks forward to collaborating with NIFFA for important conversations around Commerce, Cinema, and Culture between Australia and India.”
With national expansion, federal and state engagement, diaspora support, and two of India’s most respected film institutions partnering with NIFFA, the 2026 edition is poised to redefine India’s cultural influence in Australia.
NIFFA stands today not merely as a festival, but as a cinematic bridge between nations, a symbol of multicultural storytelling, and a cultural movement powered by India’s most dynamic global diaspora.
Filmmaker and NIFFA Festival Director Anupam Sharma said, “NIFFA was created to honour India’s many cinemas, not just Bollywood, and to give Australia a national platform to engage with Indian storytelling. The love we receive from cities and regional centres across Australia shows that this festival isn’t growing it’s exploding. With NFDC and IFFI coming on board, NIFFA 2026 will be the biggest national celebration of Indian cinema outside India.”
Dr Parwinder Kaur, Punjab-born biotechnologist and Western Australia’s first Sikh Member of the Legislative Council, stated, “Culture and creativity are the DNA of human connection. NIFFA embodies the spirit of Australia–India collaboration – weaving stories that transcend borders, celebrate diversity, and inspire generations to dream, create, and connect.”
Brian Hayes KC, Indian-born Kings Counsel and former National Chairmen of the Australia India Business Council, added, “Film is a major component of the Arts industry, and it opens up the world to sharing stories across boundaries. India and Australia share many common features which combine to make NIFFA the ideal vehicle for collaboration with each other.”
Warren Kirby, Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly and MP for Riverstone said, “There is enormous opportunity for collaboration between Indian and Australian cinema. We have some of the world’s best production crews and storytellers, and there is an exciting future in greater ties between the two industries.”
Jinson Charls, Northern Territory Minister for People, Sport and Culture; Arts; Youth, Seniors and Equality; Multicultural Affairs; and Veterans; affirmed, “Cinema is one of the most powerful ways we share who we are – our stories, our struggles, our humour, our hopes. The National Indian Film Festival of Australia brings this extraordinary storytelling tradition to new audiences, strengthening the cultural, social and people-to-people ties between India and Australia. Here in the Northern Territory, we celebrate diversity of as a strength, and this festival is a shining example of how art can bridge distances, spark understanding and bring communities together.”
Stephen Jenner, MPA [Motion Picture Association] Vice President of Communications, Asia Pacific, declared, “I’m excited to join the NIFFA Advisory Board at a time when Indian cinema is entering a remarkable new chapter. Creativity is surging across every corner of the industry – across languages, genres, and generations – and global audiences are paying attention like never before. This is a moment of expansion, opportunity, and reinvention. NIFFA has an important role to play in showcasing this energy to Australian audiences and building new bridges between our screen industries. I’m delighted to be part of that story.”
Charishma Kaliyanda, Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly and MP for Liverpool, said, “I’m proud to join the NIFFA Board and help drive a bold vision for the future of independent film and creative storytelling. Together, we will continue building a stronger, more sustainable, and more innovative industry for years to come.”
