The 57th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will be held in Goa from November 20 to 28, 2026, under the theme 'Stories Without Borders'. The festival received over 1,900 film submissions from 137 countries and will showcase more than 150 international films representing 86 countries across 13 indoor screens at four locations in Goa with a combined seating capacity of over 4,000.
The festival opens with 'Fatherland' by Paweł Pawlikowski, which won the Best Director Award at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. The mid-fest film is 'I Matter' directed by Alina Șerban, while Anthony Chen's 'We Are All Strangers' will serve as the closing film. The Gala Premieres segment features 14 screenings with participation from 87 countries.
Spain is the Country of Honour, showcasing four Spanish films including works by Pedro Almodóvar, while Russia is the Partner Country with a special showcase of four Russian films. The festival introduces two new segments: Animation featuring five films and Films About Films also featuring five films.
A special focus on BRICS cinema will showcase films from all 11 member countries, with India's 'Ramayana' as the opening film for this segment. The Indian Panorama section presents 76 films in 18 different languages, selected from 404 feature film submissions and 358 non-feature submissions. The section opens with Hindi feature 'Dhurandhar' and Ladakhi-language non-feature 'Becoming'.
The Best Debut Feature Films Competition includes seven films from Germany, India, Belgium, Egypt, France/Italy, and China. The festival will feature 52 women filmmakers and 62 debut filmmakers, with competitive sections spotlighting 10 women filmmakers and 12 debut filmmakers.
The WAVES Film Bazaar will facilitate industry collaboration with 150 invited guests including buyers and production houses. Netflix serves as the Knowledge Series partner, supporting industry capacity-building and showcasing its collaboration with the Government to strengthen India's VFX capabilities. The festival will host 14 masterclasses, panels, and interactive programmes at Kala Academy from November 21-27.
Centenary tributes will honor filmmaker Andrzej Wajda with five films and Indian cinema legends including Shakti Samanta, Raj Khosla, Uttam Kumar, Suryakant Mandhare, Prem Nazir, Raj Kumar, O. P. Nayyar, and Ravi. The Creative Minds of Tomorrow programme will engage 100 participants across 13 filmmaking crafts.
The festival is organized by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India, in association with the Government of Goa and the Entertainment Society of Goa, with NFDC managing the WAVES Film Bazaar.