The 17th edition of the Indian Film Festival Melbourne (IFFM) has announced its nominations, recognizing some of the most acclaimed films, performances and filmmakers in the Indian film industry.This year’s festival will take place from 13 to 23 August 2026 and is supported by the Victorian Government. In addition to the awards ceremony, the event will host premieres, special screenings, masterclasses, panel discussions, industry interactions and cultural programming.
Competition in best picture category fierce
Competition for the Best Film award includes works in a variety of languages ​​and genres. Nominated films include “Haq”, “Jarann”, “Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1”, “Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra”, “Saiyaara”, “Sitaare Zameen Par”, “Sharthopor” and “The Great Shamsuddin Family”. Kantala: The Legend – Chapter 1 has become one of the famous contenders after its successful release. The best director category is also hotly contested. The nominees include Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Chandrasish Ray, Mohit Suri, Ramalingam Gowtham, Rima Das, Rishab Shetty, RS Prasanna and Shazia Iqbal.
Aamir Khan, Mammootty and Rishabh Shetty nominated for Best Actor
The Best Performance by an Actor (Male) category stars several of the biggest names in Indian cinema. The nominees include Aamir Khan, Arhaan Pandey, Buman Bhargav Das, Durgai Salman, Mammootty, Ranveer SinghRishabh Shetty and Sanjay Mishra. Meanwhile, nominees for Best Performance (Female) include Aneet Padda, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Kirti Kulhari, Neena Gupta, Rajshri Deshpande, Rani Mukerji, Rituparna Sengupta and Yami Gautam Dhar. For Rishabh Shetty, this year’s nomination is particularly important as he is being recognized as both a filmmaker and an actor.
Streaming and TV categories include popular titles
The festival also recognizes excellence in streaming. Best Actor in a Series Awards include Ambrish Verma, Arif Zakaria, Barun Sobti, Kunal Kemmu, Paramvir Singh Cheema, Manav Kaul, Manoj Pahwa, Vijay Varma, Anandhi, Huma Qureshi, Lakshmi Priyaa Chandramouli, Mona Singh, Rasika DugarSeema Pahwa, Shefali Shah and Swastika Mukherjee. Best drama series nominees include “Baai Tujhyapayi”, “Kohrra: Season 2”, “Matka King”, “Real Kashmir Football Club”, “Sapne Vs Everyday”, “Bollywood Bad”, “Perfect Family” and “Midnight Freedom: Season 2”.Winners in all categories will be selected by an independent jury composed of leading figures from the Australian film industry and cultural circles. The award will be presented at the festival’s closing ceremony later in August, IANS reported.
