IFFI 2026: Fatherland to open, Dhurandhar leads Indian Panorama

TL;DR in 30 sec

• The 57th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will show 159 international films from 86 countries and 76 Indian films in Goa from 20 to 28 November, PTI reported.
• Pawel Pawlikowski’s Fatherland will open the festival and Anthony Chen’s We Are All Strangers will close it, according to PTI.
• Dhurandhar will open the Indian Panorama’s feature films and the Ladakhi-language Becoming its non-feature films, India.com reported, citing NFDC and PIB.
• Ramayana will open a special section of films from BRICS countries, ANI reported, citing a PIB press release.

What happened

The festival unveiled its programme on Friday, 13 November, at a curtain-raiser press conference in Dona Paula, Goa, ANI reported. The festival’s website lists the press conference on the same date.

This year’s theme is “Stories Without Borders”, according to PTI. At the press conference, festival director Ashutosh Gowariker said, “We are living in a time when we are more connected than ever,” PTI reported.

According to PTI, the festival will screen:

• 159 international films from 86 countries, and 76 Indian films;
• 9 world premieres, 2 international premieres, 24 Asian premieres and 116 Indian premieres;
• 14 gala premieres.

Fatherland, the opening film, is set in Germany in 1949 and follows the writer Thomas Mann and his daughter Erika, Indian Television reported. Its director, Pawel Pawlikowski, won Best Director at Cannes earlier this year, PTI reported. Alina Serban’s I Matter is the mid-festival film, according to Indian Television.

At the press conference, Dhiraj Singh, managing director of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), announced the Indian Panorama’s opening films, India.com reported. According to News On AIR, the section has 25 feature films and 20 non-feature films.

Why it matters for India 🇮🇳

IFFI, which began in 1952, is organised by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting with the Government of Goa and the Entertainment Society of Goa, Indian Television reported.

The 76 Indian films span 18 languages, PTI reported. According to Indian Television, the Indian Panorama received 404 feature-film entries and 358 non-feature entries, plus 46 eligible entries for the Best Web Series (OTT) award.

More than 7,000 delegates have registered, News On AIR reported. Films will play on 13 indoor screens across Panaji, Porvorim, Margao and Ponda, with more than 4,000 seats in all, according to PTI.

The line-up features 52 women filmmakers and 62 debut filmmakers, Indian Television reported.

Background

There are three competitions, ANI reported: the International Competition, the Best Debut Feature Film competition and the ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal. According to PTI, they have 15, 7 and 10 films respectively.

Filmmaker Aanand L Rai chairs the five-member International Competition jury, ANI reported. The Golden Peacock for Best Film comes with Rs 51 lakh, and the Silver Peacock for Best Director with Rs 20 lakh, according to PTI.

Spain is this year’s Country of Honour and Russia the Partner Country, News On AIR reported. Two new sections, covering animation and films about films, have five films each, according to PTI.

The BRICS section has films from all 11 member countries, ANI reported. Its opening film, Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana, was released on 5 November, according to The Hollywood Reporter India. The Hollywood Reporter India also reported that Sacnilk estimates the film’s worldwide gross at Rs 1,033.55 crore after eight days. The tracker calls its figures rough estimates.

The festival will also mark the birth centenaries of filmmakers Shakti Samanta and Raj Khosla, actors Uttam Kumar, Prem Nazir and Raj Kumar, and composers O P Nayyar and Ravi, PTI reported. Gowariker’s Lagaan gets a special screening for its 25th anniversary, according to PTI.

Different perspectives

The reports agree on the dates, the opening and closing films and the theme. Some numbers differ. PTI and ANI put the entries at about 1,400 from 137 countries. Indian Television reported more than 1,900 entries from 137 countries, and India.com reported about 1,900.

Most reports give 86 countries. India.com reported 87, and Indian Television gave both figures in different parts of its report.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the state was “once again prepared to roll out the red carpet for the global film fraternity,” ANI reported. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting Secretary Chanchal Kumar spoke about cultural exchange and Indian storytelling, according to Indian Television.

None of the sources carried a critical view of the programme.

Open questions 🤔

• How many entries did the festival receive: about 1,400, as PTI and ANI reported, or more than 1,900, as Indian Television and India.com reported?
• Which films make up the full Indian Panorama selection of 25 feature and 20 non-feature films?
• Which film will win the Golden Peacock for Best Film?

What to watch next

The festival opens in Goa on 20 November, PTI reported. Masterclasses and talks follow at Kala Academy from 21 to 27 November, and the festival closes on 28 November with We Are All Strangers, according to PTI.