Australia’s National Indian Film Festival Expands to Regional Markets, Partners With Indian Film Bodies (EXCLUSIVE)

Australia’s National Indian Film Festival (NIFFA) is expanding into regional territories and has signed partnerships with India’s National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) ahead of its 2026 edition.

The festival, which spans seven Australian capital cities including Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, will add six regional locations for 2026: Broken Hill, Alice Springs, Dubbo, Leeton, Griffith and Geelong. Additional regional centers are being added in coming weeks, organizers said.

NIFFA is signing a memorandum of understanding with NFDC India and IFFI at the WAVES Film Bazaar, positioning the festival as a key platform for Indian cinema in Australia.

The expansion comes as India has become the largest source of new migrants to Australia, with Punjabi now the fastest-growing language in the country. Indian films are currently outperforming Australian films at the domestic box office, according to festival organizers. The shift, combined with the Australia-India Co-Production Treaty, has positioned Australia as a strategic gateway for Indian cinema.

“NIFFA was created to honor India’s many cinemas, not just Bollywood, and to give Australia a national platform to engage with Indian storytelling,” said Anupam Sharma, the festival’s director and founder. “The love we receive from cities and regional centers across Australia shows that this festival isn’t growing — it’s exploding. With NFDC and IFFI coming on board, NIFFA 2026 will be the biggest national celebration of Indian cinema outside India.”

A new section titled “His Excellency Recommends” will feature five Indian films curated by the Indian High Commissioner for Australian audiences.

New programming includes a Co-Production Pitch Forum connecting Indian and Australian producers with funding bodies and studios, with one project receiving a co-production and distribution deal. Forum Films, an Indian cinema distributor operating in India, Fiji and New Zealand, will fund one distribution deal for the Australia-New Zealand territory.

Returning partners for 2026 include Dendy Cinemas, NDTV, SBS, Marriott, Murdoch University and the Australia India Business Council, which celebrates its 40th anniversary next year.

The 2026 edition has assembled an advisory council including Western Australia’s first Sikh Member of Parliament Parwinder Kaur, Kings Counsel Brian Hayes, and several state legislators including NSW Members of Parliament Warren Kirby and Charishma Kaliyanda, Northern Territory Minister Jinson Charls, and Motion Picture Association VP of communications for Asia Pacific Stephen Jenner.

Kaur described the festival as embodying the spirit of Australia-India collaboration, weaving stories that transcend borders and celebrate diversity. “Culture and creativity are the DNA of human connection,” she said.

Hayes noted that film is a major component of the arts industry that opens up the world to sharing stories across boundaries. India and Australia share many common features, he said, which combine to make NIFFA an ideal vehicle for collaboration.

Kirby emphasized the enormous opportunity for collaboration between Indian and Australian cinema. “We have some of the world’s best production crews and storytellers, and there is an exciting future in greater ties between the two industries,” he said.

Charls called cinema one of the most powerful ways to share stories, struggles, humor and hopes. “The National Indian Film Festival of Australia brings this extraordinary storytelling tradition to new audiences, strengthening the cultural, social and people-to-people ties between India and Australia,” he said. In the Northern Territory, diversity is celebrated as a strength, and the festival exemplifies how art can bridge distances and bring communities together, he added.

Jenner said he’s excited to join the NIFFA advisory board at a time when Indian cinema is entering a remarkable new chapter, with creativity surging across languages, genres and generations. “Global audiences 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 showcasing this energy to Australian audiences and building new bridges between our screen industries.”

Kaliyanda said she’s proud to help drive a bold vision for the future of independent film and creative storytelling, working to build a stronger, more sustainable and innovative industry.

Australia India Business Council chair Deepak Raj Gupta added: “AIBC looks forward to collaborating with NIFFA for important conversations around commerce, cinema and culture between Australia and India.”

The festival takes place in the second half of March 2026, with film submissions closing Jan. 20. The program will be announced on Australia Day, which coincides with India’s Republic Day on Jan. 26.