by FilmInk Staff
AUSTRALIA’S ONLY NATIONAL INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL RETURNS IN 2026, WITH MASSIVE EXPANSION PLANS AND HISTORIC PARTNERSHIPS
Australia’s only national Indian film festival, NIFFA, will return in 2026, with a powerhouse advisory panel of business and political leaders supporting its massive expansion around the country – making it the largest celebration of Indian cinema outside of India.
The brainchild of Anupam Sharma, Australia’s most well-known India-born filmmaker and entrepreneur, the National Indian Film Festival of Australia will deepen its footprint in regional and rural Australia next year, after the festival signed a historic MoU [memorandum of understanding] with the NFDC (National Film Development Corporation of India) and IFFI (International Film Festival of India).
NIFFA 2026 is poised to capture the booming box office appeal of Indian cinema around the nation, with its schedule to include red carpet premieres and screenings in Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth, Canberra, Adelaide, and Darwin.
Indian cinema has not only won hearts in Australia — it has won the Australian box office, where Indian films outperformed Australian films at Australia’s own box office for the first time this year.
The capital city roadmap will now include NIFFA Regional – taking the festival to rural and regional Australia — a unique phenomenon unmatched by any other Indian film festival worldwide.
The 2026 festival will feature screenings in Broken Hill, Alice Springs, Dubbo, Leeton, Griffith, and Geelong, with more regional and remote centres to be added in the coming weeks.
NIFFA is also honoured to announce the program, His Excellency Recommends, featuring five important Indian films the Indian High Commissioner to Australia would like Australians to watch.
With India now the largest source of new migrants to Australia, NIFFA has grown beyond the boundaries of an ordinary film festival — becoming a national platform for trade with India, multicultural inclusion, and diverse storytelling.
The festival’s momentum and prestige is also reflected in the dignitaries who have joined a special advisory council to NIFFA, including:
* The Honourable Dr Parwinder Kaur, MLC: Punjab-born biotechnologist and Western Australia’s first Sikh Member of the Legislative Council;
* Mr Brian Hayes, KC: Indian-born King’s Counsel and former National Chairman of the Australia India Business Council;
* Mr Warren Kirby, MP: Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly and MP for Riverstone;
* The Honourable Mr Jinson Charls, MLA: Kerala-born Member of Northern Territory Legislative Assembly and Minister for People, Sport and Culture; Arts; Youth, Seniors and Equality; Multicultural Affairs; Disability, and Veterans;
* Mr Stephen Jenner, MPA [Motion Picture Association] Vice President of Communications for the Asia Pacific region;
* Ms Charishma Kaliyanda, MP: first Indian-born MP for Liverpool and Member of the NSW Legislative Assembly.
Announcing the festival at the International Film Festival of India, in Goa, where Australia was a spotlight country, Mr Sharma said: “This collaboration places NIFFA on the world festival map as the definitive platform for showcasing India’s cinematic power to Australian and global audiences.”
The surge of Indian and South Asian communities into regional Australia has created both a cultural hunger and opportunity for community leaders, with local councils, arts bodies and screen agencies turning to NIFFA to create a cohesive national platform for meaningful engagement, community-building, and cinematic celebration.
NIFFA has also announced a co-production pitch platform, where one film will receive a co-production partner to enable an eligible co-production. The festival will again offer one Indian film distribution deal for the Australian and New Zealand Territory – funded by Forum Films, one of the biggest and oldest distributors of Indian cinema in India, Fiji, and NZ.
Last year’s partners – including Dendy, SBS, NDTV, Murdoch University, Marriott, and others – have returned to again support NIFFA – while the prestigious spot for host state will be announced in December along with an exciting list of patrons and guests.
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.
The full festival schedule will be announced on January 26, 2026, with tickets on sale at www.niffa.com.au.
