Australia’s National Indian Film Festival (NIFFA) is expanding regionally, entering into a partnership with India’s National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) ahead of its 2026 launch.
The festival will take place in seven Australian capital cities, including Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, with six regional venues to be added in 2026: Broken Hill, Alice Springs, Dubbo, Leeton, Griffith and Geelong. Organizers say more regional centers will be added in the coming weeks.
NIFFA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with NFDC India and IFFI at WAVES Film Bazaar, positioning the festival as a key platform for Indian films in Australia.
The expansion comes as India becomes the largest source of new immigrants to Australia, with Punjabi becoming the country’s fastest growing language. Indian films are currently outpacing Australian films at the domestic box office, according to festival organizers. This change, coupled with the Australia-India Co-Production Treaty, positioned Australia as a strategic gateway for Indian films.
“NIFFA was created to celebrate not just Bollywood but the many cinemas of India, and to give Australia a national platform to participate in Indian storytelling,” said festival director and founder Anupam Sharma. “The love we are receiving from cities and regional centers across Australia shows that this festival is not just growing, but exploding. With the participation of NFDC and IFFI, NIFFA 2026 will become the largest national celebration of Indian film outside of India.”
A new section titled ‘His Excellency’s Recommendations’ will feature five Indian films handpicked by the Indian High Commissioner for Australian audiences.
The new program includes a co-production pitch forum that brings together Indian and Australian producers with funding bodies and studios, with one project leading to a co-production and distribution deal. Forum Films, an Indian film distribution company with operations in India, Fiji and New Zealand, will finance one distribution deal for the Australian and New Zealand territories.
Returning partners in 2026 include Dendi Cinemas, NDTV, SBS, Marriott, Murdoch University and the Australia-India Business Council, which celebrates its 40th anniversary next year.
The 2026 edition convened an advisory panel that included Western Australia’s first Sikh MP Parwinder Kaur, Kings advisor Brian Hayes, New South Wales MPs Warren Kirby and Karishma Kalyanda, Northern Territory minister Jinson Charles, and several state MPs, including the Motion Picture Association’s vice president of communications for Asia Pacific, Stephen Jenner.
Ms Kaul explained that the festival embodies the spirit of collaboration between Australia and India, weaving a story that celebrates diversity across borders. “Culture and creativity are the DNA of relationships,” she said.
Hayes pointed out that film is a major component of the arts industry, opening up a world of sharing stories across boundaries. He said India and Australia have many similarities, which together make NIFFA an ideal vehicle for cooperation.
Kirby emphasized that there is a huge opportunity for collaboration between Indian and Australian films. “We have some of the best production staff and storytellers in the world, and we have an exciting future ahead as we continue to deepen the ties between our two industries,” he said.
Charles said movies are one of the most powerful ways to share stories, struggles, humor and hope. “The Australian National Indian Film Festival brings this extraordinary storytelling tradition to new audiences and strengthens the cultural, social and people-to-people ties between India and Australia,” he said. Diversity is celebrated as a strength in the Northern Territory and the festival exemplifies how the arts can bridge distance and bring communities together, he added.
Mr. Jenner said he is excited to join NIFFA’s advisory board at a time when Indian cinema is entering a remarkable new chapter, with a surge of creativity across languages, genres and generations. “Audiences around the world are paying attention like never before. This is a moment of expansion, opportunity and reinvention,” he said. “NIFFA has an important role to play in conveying this energy to Australian audiences and building new bridges between our country’s screen industries.”
Kalyanda said he is proud to help advance a bold vision for the future of independent film and creative storytelling, and is committed to building a stronger, more sustainable and innovative industry.
Deepak Raj Gupta, Chairman of the Australia-India Business Council, added: “AIBC is looking forward to working with NIFFA to engage in this important dialogue on commerce, film and culture between Australia and India.”
The festival will take place in late March 2026, with film submissions closing on January 20th. The program will be announced on Australia Day, which coincides with India’s Republic Day on January 26.
