The 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) is set to take place in Goa from November 20 to 28, 2025. The curtain-raiser event for IFFI was held in New Delhi today. It highlights an extensive and diverse programme: more than 240 films from 81 countries, 13 world premieres, 4 international premieres, and 46 Asian premieres. The festival has received a record 2,314 submissions from 127 countries, underscoring IFFI’s growing prominence on the global festival circuit.

Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Dr. L. Murugan highlighted that this year’s IFFI introduces several new initiatives reflecting innovation and inclusivity. The Minister highlighted that over 50 women directors have their films featured this year, underscoring the government’s commitment to promoting Nari Shakti in cinema. He also announced that OTT awards will continue this year to recognise excellence in web and streaming content. He said that the festival continues to support new and emerging talents, in areas like screenwriting, production design, and sound. He also emphasized that steps are being taken to strengthen anti-piracy laws and simplify film certification, while the CBFC’s upcoming Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat certificate for multi-language films will further promote India’s cultural unity.

Shri Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, highlighted that Indian cinema is making a strong global impact, with Indian films outperforming Hollywood releases at the Australian box office. Japan, Spain, and Australia will bring new collaborations to IFFI this year. A grand carnival parade featuring production houses, states, and cultural groups will add a vibrant spirit, while a larger Film Bazaar will boost international co-productions.

IFFIesta is a vibrant entertainment and cultural extravaganza associated with the International Film Festival of India (IFFI). The ‘IFFIesta’ will celebrate music, culture, and entertainment during the event. It is designed to bring communities together through a blend of film, food, art, and interactive experiences, and aims to enhance youth participation and public engagement with the main festival. Shri Jaju also highlighted that while Generative AI is disrupting the entertainment industry, it should be embraced as a creative tool shaping the future of storytelling.

IFFI 2025 Festival Director Shri Shekhar Kapur said India is both the world’s largest film-making and film-watching nation, celebrating its people’s love for stories. He emphasised that storytelling builds understanding and peace across cultures. Highlighting the Film Bazaar, he called it a movement that empowers young creators through technology. He added that Artificial Intelligence should be seen as a creative tool helping storytellers share India’s stories with the world.

The curtain raiser event was also attended by Shri Dhirendra Ojha, Principal Director General, Press Information Bureau; Shri Prabhat, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting; Dr. Ajay Nagabhushan, Joint Secretary (Films), Ministry of Information & Broadcasting; Shri Raja Bundela, Chairman, Indian Panorama Jury (Feature); Shri Prakash Magdum, Managing Director, NFDC; and Shri Dharam Gulati, Chairman, Indian Panorama Jury (Non-feature).

Key Highlights of the 56th Edition

Opening Film & Gala Premieres

●          The Opening Film of IFFI 2025 is Brazilian auteur Gabriel Mascaro’s THE BLUE TRAIL, a sci-fi and fantasy feature which follows a 75-year-old woman whose defiant voyage, through the Amazon becomes a quiet manifesto on freedom, dignity, and the right to dream. The film won the Silver Bear - Grand Jury Prize, Berlin International Film Festival 2025.

●          The Gala Premieres segment will present 18 titles, including 13 World Premieres, 2 Asia Premieres, 1 India Premiere, and 2 Special Showcase screenings. The red carpet will welcome a distinguished line-up of artists and filmmakers.

 

Programme Scale & Premieres

●          240+ films in total from 81 countries.

●          160 films in the International Section, including 13 world premieres.

●          Over 80 award-winning festival titles and 21 official Oscar-nominated films will screen at IFFI 2025.

●          Over 55 films under “Cinema of the World” and a curated selection of 133  international titles that have done festival rounds.

 

Curated Sections in International Programming

●   JAPAN: Country of Focus, and two newly added sections, Partner Country: Spain and Spotlight Contry: Australia.

 

●          In total, the festival will present 15 Competitive and Curated segments, including International Competition, Best Debut Feature Film of a Director, ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal, and special segments such as Macabre Dreams, Docu-Montage, Experimental Films, UNICEF, and Restored Classics.

Country Focus — Japan

●          Japan is the Country of Focus for IFFI 2025. IFFI’s Country Focus: Japan presents a panoramic view of Japanese cinema today, celebrating the creative force of both rising filmmakers and established auteurs who continue to shape the nation’s evolving film language. Across six carefully curated titles - from intimate dramas of memory and identity to festival-winning psychological thrillers, queer narratives, youth sci-fi, and poetic, non-linear experiments.

 

Centenary Tributes

●          IFFI 2025 will celebrate centenaries and honour legendary filmmakers Guru Dutt, Raj Khosla, Ritwik Ghatak, P. Bhanumathi, Bhupen Hazarika, and Salil Chowdhury by showcasing their masterpiece.

Salil Chowdhury’s Musafir and Ritwik Ghatak’s Subarnarekha will be shown at IFFI 2025.

Rajinikanth’s Golden Jubilee

• Superstar Rajinikanth will also be felicitated at the closing ceremony for completing 50 years of his legendary cinematic journey.

Indian Panorama & New Horizons

●          Indian Panorama 2025: 25 Feature Films, 20 Non-Feature Films, and 5 Debut Feature Films.

●          Opening Film (Indian Panorama Feature): Amaran (Tamil), directed by Rajkumar Periyasamy.

●          Opening Non-Feature Film: Kakori.

●          New Horizons: up to five specially curated feature films (world, international, Asian, or India premieres) outside the Indian Panorama selection.

Women, Debut Voices & Emerging Talent

●          Women in Cinema: 50+ films directed by women; 50+ works from debut filmmakers, reflecting the festival’s focus on inclusivity and emerging voices (International Section)

●          Best Debut Director of Indian Feature Film: five selected debut features to be screened; the award carries a certificate and a cash prize of Rs. 5 lakhs for the director.

●          Best Web Series (OTT) Award: from five finalists (selected out of 30 submissions), the winner receives a certificate and a cash prize of Rs. 10 lakhs, to be shared among creators and producers.

 

Creative Minds of Tomorrow (CMOT)

●          CMOT has seen 799 entries in 2025. Selected participants have increased from 75 to 124, covering 13 filmmaking crafts, including three new crafts this year. The programme includes a 48-hour filmmaking challenge in collaboration with ShortsTV.

 

Waves Film Bazaar

●          Waves Film Bazaar (19th edition): Over 300 film projects from Screenwriters Lab, Market Screenings, Viewing Room Library, Co-Production Market Feature & Documentary presented for production, distribution, and sales collaborations; the Bazaar continues to grow as a major film market in South Asia.

●          Waves Film Bazaar Co-Production Market: will feature 22 Feature Films and 5 Documentaries . Cash grants totalling $20,000 are offered to 3 winners (1st Prize : Co-Production Market Feature - $10,000, 2nd Prize : Co-Production Market Feature - $5,000. Special Cash Grant for Co-Production Market Documentary project- $5000).

●          This year’s WAVES Film Bazaar Recommends (WFBR) section showcases 22 films comprising 3 short fiction films, 3 mid-length documentaries, and 16 fiction feature films, representing 14 languages and 4 countries, and spotlighting several debut directors.

●          The “Knowledge Series” will include pitching sessions, country and state showcases, and practical sessions on production and distribution.

●          WFB pavilions and stalls will host delegations from 7+ countries and showcase incentives from 10+ Indian states. A dedicated Tech Pavilion featuring over five leading technology companies will showcase cutting-edge innovations in VFX, animation, CGI, and other filmmaking technologies in collaboration with key industry partners.

 

Marketplace & Co-Production Opportunities : WAVES Film Bazaar networking events will bring together filmmakers, producers, sales agents, festival programmers, and investors to foster creative and financial collaborations.

 

Masterclasses, Panels & Interactive Programmes

●          Film enthusiasts can look forward to 21 masterclasses and panel discussions in 10 formats at Kala Academy, featuring luminaries Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Anupam Kher, Christopher Charles Corbould OBE, Bobby Deol, Aamir Khan, Ravi Varman, Kushboo Sundar, Suhasini Maniratnam, Pete Draper and Sreekar Prasad among others. Sessions will range from editing and acting in the digital era to sustainability, Theatre Acting, AI and VFX technologies.

●          New panels will address cinema’s role in promoting peace and the challenges of filmmaking. “In Conversation” sessions will feature celebrated artists and filmmakers across industries. Technical sessions will highlight editing, cinematography, VFX and SFX.

Festival Venues & Accessibility

●          Films and events will be hosted across five principal venues: INOX Panjim, Maquinez Palace, INOX Porvorim, Z-Square Samrat Ashok, and Ravindra Bhavan, Madgaon. Open-air screenings will be held at Miramar Beach, Ravindra Bhavan Fatorda, and Anjuna Beach.

●          All venues are equipped with accessibility measures — audio descriptions, sign language interpretation, and multilingual dubbing — aligning with the festival’s commitment to inclusive participation.

 

Jury for International Competition – 56th International Film Festival of India

• Chairperson: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (India)
   
• Members:
   
  • Graeme Clifford, Editor and Director (Australia)
     
  • Remi Adefarasin, Cinematographer (England)
     
  • Katharina Schüttler, Actor (Germany)
     
  • Chandran Rutnam, Filmmaker (Sri Lanka)

Notable Film Line-Up & Award Winners on the Slate

● The festival will screen prominent international award winners and festival favorites, including titles that triumphed at Cannes, Berlinale, Locarno and Venice, reinforcing IFFI’s role as a global meeting point for outstanding cinema. Some names include It Was Just An Accident (Palme d’Or, Cannes), Father Mother Sister Brother (Golden Lion, Venice), Dreams (sex Love) (Golden Bear, Berlin), Sirât (Grand Jury Prize, Cannes), The Message (Silver Bear, Jury Prize, Berlin), No Other Choice (People’s Choice Award, TIFF), Gloaming in Luomu (Best Film, Busan), Fiume o Morte! (Tiger Award, IFFR), among others.

International Film Festival of India (IFFI)
 The International Film Festival of India, founded in 1952, is the country’s premier film event organized by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and the Government of Goa. It aims to celebrate the best of world cinema while promoting Indian films and talent on a global stage. Held annually in Goa, IFFI serves as a platform for creative exchange, discovery of new voices, and fostering cultural understanding through the art of cinema.

National Film Development Corporation (NFDC)
 The National Film Development Corporation of India is a public sector enterprise under the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting. Established in 1975, NFDC plays a key role in promoting Indian cinema, supporting independent filmmakers, and facilitating co-productions with international partners. It also manages the Film Bazaar (now WAVES Bazaar), which connects Indian creators with global markets, driving the growth of India’s creative economy.

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Dharmednra Tewari/ Mahesh Kumar/ Navin Sreejith