Official logo of National Indian Film Festival of Australia
The National Indian Film Festival of Australia (NIFFA) is an annual film festival established in 2025 to celebrate Indian cinema in Australia.[1] Organised in collaboration with the Australian Centre for Indian Cinema,[2] NIFFA is described as Australia's first and only national celebration of Indian cinema. It aims to showcase the diversity of Indian filmmaking, including independent, regional, and diaspora films, and to strengthen bilateral screen and cultural ties.
The National Indian Film Festival of Australia (NIFFA) was officially announced in October 2024 by the Australian Centre for Indian Cinema.[7]
The festival was conceived by filmmaker Anupam Sharma, an Indian-Australian industry leader and curated alongside festival director Peter Castaldi. Both of them had previously collaborated on Indian film programming in Australia.[8]
NIFFA's inaugural edition ran from 13 February to 2 March 2025, spanning 18 days and screening in seven Australian cities: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, Perth, and the Gold Coast.[9] The festival presented over 40 titles, going beyond Bollywood, including Australian and world premieres, regional-language films, and a curated retrospective of Shyam Benegal, many of which had never screened in Australian cinemas before.[10]
NIFFA 2025 was notable for implementing an all-women Nomination Council, comprising industry leaders like Achala Datar from Zee Studios, producer Deepti Sachdeva, filmmaker Neeru Saluja, and actress-director Amruta Apte. The festival also introduced a Post-production Completion Grant and a special short film distribution offer by Pocket Films, offering financial and mentorship support for both Australian and Indian filmmakers working on Indian South Asian stories. In addition, NIFFA hosted panels and workshops on co-production, distribution, and investment, aiming to strengthen both cultural and commercial ties between the Indian and Australian screen industries.[11]
Australia is home to one of the most professional screen industries, while India stands as one of the world's most prolific and fastest-growing film markets.[13] The cinematic synergy between the two nations has gained significant momentum in recent years.
A landmark Australia–India Co-Production Treaty was signed on 19 November 2023, enabling streamlined collaboration and mutual access to incentives.[14] Australia was also named the “Country of Focus” at the 55th International Film Festival of India in 2024. In addition, India has increased screen subsidies for co-production partner countries like Australia.
These developments align with the rise of the Indian diaspora in Australia, now the country's second-largest immigrant group, and the growing mainstream success of Indian films at the Australian box office.[15]
With over AUD $75 million worth of India-centric screen projects currently in development or production across the two nations, NIFFA launched at a strategically ideal moment celebrating and shaping this evolving cinematic relationship.[16]
Films and screenings
The inaugural edition of the National Indian Film Festival of Australia (NIFFA) in 2025 featured a curated slate of over 35+ films. The selection included features, shorts, documentaries, and animated works, spanning multiple Indian languages and diasporic themes. All submissions were received via FilmFreeway, and final selections were shortlisted by the Nomination Council.
The Opening Night film was Superboys of Malegaon, a Hindi-language feature directed by Reema Kagti, which humorously and poignantly chronicles a group of amateur filmmakers in small-town India.[17] The Closing Night film was Roam Rome Mein, directed by Tannishtha Chatterjee, a multilingual drama exploring gender and personal liberation through an Indian lens in a European setting.[18]
WingMan (The Universal Irony of Love) (Hindi) by Anuj Gulati
Short films screened included Bandar, The Last Show, Marigold, and Ghar Jaisa Kuch, among others. The festival also included documentary features like Maa Oori Ramayanam, Baghjan, and What If I Tell You. A key highlight of the inaugural NIFFA was a retrospective tribute to legendary filmmaker Shyam Benegal, a pioneering voice in Indian parallel cinema who died just a few months before the festival. Honouring his immense contribution to socially conscious storytelling, NIFFA curated screenings of some of his most acclaimed works, including Mammo and The Making of the Mahatma. The retrospective served as an ode to Benegal's legacy, introducing his cinematic vision to new audiences across Australia.[19]
WingMan (The Universal Irony of Love), directed by Anuj Gulati, received the Best Indie Feature Film award.
Parikrama, directed by Goutam Ghose, was honoured as the Best International Indian Film.
Maa Oori Ramayanam, a documentary by Badrappa Gajula, won the Best Documentary Feature award.
The Man Who Hurls News, directed by Ananth Narayan Mahadevan, received the award for Best Documentary (Short).
The Last Show, directed by Valavan Velmurugan, won the award for Best Short Film.
The Garmentologist, directed by Debajit Banerjee, received a Special Mention (Short) from the jury.
Misty, directed by Raja Chatterjee, was awarded the Post‑Production Completion Grant.
Regional expansion
In line with its mission to democratise access to Indian cinema and foster cross-cultural dialogue across Australia, the National Indian Film Festival of Australia (NIFFA) launched NIFFA Regional in 2025. This initiative extends the festival's reach beyond metropolitan centres, engaging regional communities through film screenings, industry panels, and creative workshops. NIFFA Regional aims to highlight the vibrant diversity of Indian cinema in areas that often have limited access to curated international film events, while also creating platforms for local and South Asian Australian voices.
In June 2025, the National Indian Film Festival of Australia (NIFFA) launched its first regional edition in Dubbo, New South Wales, as part of its commitment to cultural outreach beyond major cities.[23] The three-day event, held from 20 to 22 June 2025 at Dubbo, marked a significant milestone in bringing Indian cinema and industry dialogue to regional Australian audiences.[24]
The festival opened on Friday, 20 June, with the Australian premiere of the Marathi-language feature Ata Thambaycha Naay (Now There’s No Stopping!), a film based on a true story about everyday resilience. The opening night also included a traditional Diya Lamp Ceremony, and a networking canapé reception attended by filmmakers and special guests.
The program featured a curated selection of Indian feature films, documentaries, and short films including Arranged Love, Parikrama, WingMan, Maa Oori Ramayanam, and UNSA!D – A Second Chance. Films were grouped into three themed sessions across Saturday, 21 June, giving audiences a cross-section of emerging and established voices in Indian and diasporic cinema.
The closing film on Sunday, 22 June, was Phule, a Zee Studios-produced biopic on Indian social reformers Savitribai and Jyotirao Phule, directed by Ananth Mahadevan. The screening was followed by a Q&A session with Achala Datar, Head of Operations at Zee Studios, and a special dance performance
The Dubbo edition of NIFFA demonstrated the festival's commitment to inclusivity and regional outreach, providing access to Indian cinema, professional dialogue, and cultural events outside metropolitan areas. Dubbo's hosting of screenings, workshops, and panels marks a meaningful step in decentralising Australia's cultural landscape and strengthening cross-cultural connections in regional communities. In the spirit of community engagement, the program also included cultural performances, a youth-focused Bollywood-themed night, stand-up comedy, and a DJ afterparty. This regional model of combining film with culturally tailored engagement activities is intended to serve as a template for future NIFFA Regional editions, with each location adapting the programming to reflect its unique local communities and cultural landscape.
Organisation
Festival Founder and Director: Anupam Sharma
Anupam Sharma serves as the Founder and Festival Director of NIFFA. An Australian filmmaker of Indian origin, Sharma holds both a bachelor's and master's degree in Film & Theatre from the University of New South Wales, including a postgraduate thesis on Indian cinema.[25] He is widely recognized for pioneering Indo-Australian film collaborations since the late 1990s, working on notable Bollywood films shot in Australia like Dil Chahta Hai and Heyy Babyy, and has produced and directed Australian films including unINDIAN (2015)[26] and the documentary The Run (2017)[27]
As the founding head of Films & Casting TEMPLE Pty Ltd a Sydney-based international production and consultancy firm, Sharma has overseen over 300 screen projects spanning feature films, documentaries, commercials, film festivals, and cross-border productions.[28] He currently serves as the Chair of the Australia India Film Council[29] and has previously held roles such as Australia Day Ambassador.[30] He was also named among the 50 most influential Australian film professionals.[31]
Co‑Director: Peter Castaldi
Peter Castaldi is the Co‑Director of NIFFA, bringing decades of experience in Australian film exhibition, journalism, and festival programming.[32] He managed the Valhalla independent cinemas across Melbourne, Adelaide, and Sydney (1977–1981), worked as producer and presenter across ABC, SBS, and commercial television and radio, and served as artistic director of the Goat Island film festival (1999–2000).[33]
Castaldi's career includes founding a three-screen cinema complex in Byron Bay, directing regional programs for the Australian Film Commission (now Screen Australia), and establishing the theatrical division of Umbrella Entertainment. He has also co-curated the Australian Film Festival of India in India with Sharma.[34] He currently serves as Managing Editor for Education Services and Partnerships at the Australian Teachers of Media (ATOM).[35]
Nomination Council
To maintain transparency and inclusiveness in selection, NIFFA established an all-women Nomination Council in its inaugural year. The Nomination Council comprised distinguished women from the film and media industry. Achala Datar, head of film distribution for Zee Studios in Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji, and former executive producer with Balaji Telefilms, brought extensive experience in both Indian and Australian markets.[36] Deepti Sachdeva, an award-winning producer with a master's from Jamia Millia Islamia and a former NDTV journalist,[37] has produced acclaimed works such as Bollywood DownUnder[38] and The Run,[39] and has served on juries for the Asian Television Awards, New York Festivals,[40] and BANFF Rockie Awards. Neeru Saluja, a seasoned arts journalist and critic with over two decades of experience,[41] has contributed to major festivals including the Sydney Film Festival, SXSW Sydney, WOMADelaide, the AACTA Awards, and the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.[42] Rounding out the council is Amruta Apte, an actor, producer, and production coordinator at SBS. Active in theatre and film, she directed the award-winning short film Ankur[43] and contributed to the groundbreaking Australian TV series Four Years Later, which spotlighted South Asian talent.
Reception
The festival received positive coverage from NDTV,[44] The Hindu,[45] ABC,[46] and The Indian Sun,[1] which praised its inclusiveness, cultural focus, and expansion of the Australia–India screen relationship.
↑ Sharma, Anupam, The Run (Documentary, Adventure, Sport), Pat Farmer, Tania Farmer, Joseph Grace, Films & Casting Temple Pvt. Ltd. Sydney, retrieved 2025-09-23
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