Every November, a stretch of the Goa coast turns into a cinema hall. On 13 November 2026, at a curtain-raiser press conference at Taj Cidade de Goa Horizon, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced the programme of the 57th International Film Festival of India (IFFI). It will run from 20 to 28 November 2026 under the theme 'Stories Without Borders'.
The festival received over 1,900 film submissions from 137 countries and will show more than 150 international films from 86 countries. Spain is the Country of Honour, Russia is the Partner Country, and there is a special focus on BRICS cinema. This explainer sets out what was announced, then the history, institutions and awards of IFFI that make it a staple of art-and-culture questions.
The announcement at a glance
| Item | Detail (as released by PIB, 13 November 2026) |
|---|---|
| Edition | 57th IFFI |
| Dates and place | 20-28 November 2026, Goa |
| Theme | 'Stories Without Borders' |
| Submissions | Over 1,900 from 137 countries |
| International films | More than 150, from 86 countries |
| Opening film | Fatherland, directed by Paweł Pawlikowski |
| Mid-fest film | I Matter, directed by Alina Șerban |
| Closing film | We Are All Strangers, directed by Anthony Chen |
| Country of Honour | Spain |
| Partner Country | Russia |
| Special focus | BRICS cinema; India's Ramayana opens the segment |
| Indian Panorama | 76 films in 18 languages |
One caution about numbers: the release gives the headline figure as "over 150 international films from 86 countries", while a festival-director quote in the same release speaks of 159 films selected from 1,400 submissions. Use the 150-plus, 86-country and 1,900-submission figures from the main text, and treat the others as a reminder that totals vary with what is counted.
The senior figures at the launch included the Goa Chief Minister, Dr. Pramod Sawant, who said the state was ready to welcome the global cinema community; Chanchal Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting; Ashutosh Gowariker, the Festival Director; and the heads of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).
What is new in 2026
A theme that is also a test. Festival Director Ashutosh Gowariker explained that the theme is not just a slogan for a poster. It is the question put to every section: does the film connect with audiences in ways they have not experienced before? He added that asking it reveals borders in more places than expected.
Two new segments. An Animation segment will show five films, and Films About Films will show another five, introduced after suggestions from filmmakers, to bring the craft of filmmaking itself to the fore.
BRICS cinema. The segment will show films from all 11 BRICS member countries, with contributions from partner countries. India's Ramayana is its opening film. The focus fits India's 2026 chairship of BRICS, whose leaders' summit our explainer on the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi covers.
Spain and Russia. Spain, the Country of Honour, brings four films, including Bitter Christmas directed by Pedro Almodóvar. Russia, the Partner Country, has a showcase of four films. Last year's edition had Japan as "Country of Focus", Spain as "Partner Country" and Australia as "Spotlight Country", so the labels and the lineup change every year.
Opening film. Fatherland follows the Nobel laureate Thomas Mann and his daughter Erika as they travel through post-war, divided Germany in 1949. PIB says Pawlikowski, the writer-director of Ida and Cold War, was a joint winner of the Best Director award at the Cannes Film Festival this year. The mid-fest film, I Matter, is a 101-minute Romania-Germany-Belgium co-production with dialogue in Romanian and Romani. The festival ends with Singapore's We Are All Strangers (157 minutes, in Mandarin and English).
Indian Panorama. 76 films in 18 languages are selected, from 404 feature and 358 non-feature submissions, with 46 eligible entries for Best Web Series (OTT). The section opens with Dhurandhar (Hindi feature) and Becoming (Ladakhi non-feature).
Debuts and women filmmakers. The festival brings 52 women filmmakers and 62 debut filmmakers; the competitive sections have 10 women and 12 debut filmmakers. The Best Debut Feature Films competition has seven films, including Fading Man (Germany), The Sledge and Birds on Ice (India), Paris (Belgium), The Black Sea (Egypt), L'Âge d'Or (France-Italy) and Atlantic (China).
Tributes. A centenary tribute to the Polish director Andrzej Wajda will feature five films, and a Restored Classics section also has five. IFFI will honour the birth centenaries of Indian filmmakers Shakti Samanta and Raj Khosla, actors Uttam Kumar, Suryakant Mandhare, Prem Nazir and Raj Kumar, and music composers O. P. Nayyar and Ravi.
Jury. The chairperson of the International Competition jury is Aanand L. Rai; the Feature Film Jury is chaired by Madhur Bhandarkar and the Non-Feature Film Jury by Himanshu Shekhar Khatua.
The market and the young talent
IFFI is not only about screenings. Two programmes are about the industry.
- WAVES Film Bazaar brings filmmakers, producers, buyers and distributors together for co-production and business. This year it will host 150 invited guests, with the Screenwriters' Lab, Co-production Market, Viewing Room and Work-in-Progress Lab. Netflix is the Knowledge Series partner, supporting capacity-building and the government's effort to strengthen India's VFX capabilities. The Bazaar was launched by NFDC as "Film Bazaar" and has run since 2007; it was rebranded WAVES Film Bazaar. At the 2025 edition PIB reported business worth over ₹1,050 crore.
- Creative Minds of Tomorrow (CMOT) is in its sixth edition, with 100 selected participants across 13 filmmaking crafts, masterclasses, a 48-hour filmmaking challenge and a talent camp.
There are also 14 sessions at Kala Academy (21 to 27 November), covering masterclasses, panels and in-conversation events.
Where the screens are
Screenings will run for nine days on 13 indoor screens at four locations, with a combined seating capacity of over 4,000: the Panaji hub (seven screens across INOX, Maquinez, Samrat and Ashoka), INOX at Porvorim, Ravindra Bhavan, Margao, and Magic Movie, Ponda. Panaji is Goa's capital, so IFFI is spread across the state rather than confined to one city.
IFFI's history in six lines
- 1952: the first IFFI was held in what was then Bombay, with a welcome address on 24 January 1952. Its organising chairman described it as "not competitive but representative", a meeting of nations to view each other's work.
- Later years: the "Filmotsavs" were merged with IFFI, according to a PIB backgrounder.
- 2004: the festival was held in Goa for the first time. PIB describes this as the year it found its permanent home.
- 2014: Goa was formally declared the permanent venue, as another PIB note records.
- Accreditation: PIB calls IFFI South Asia's only festival accredited by the FIAPF (International Federation of Film Producers' Associations) in the Competitive Feature Films category.
- Organisers: the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, in association with the Government of Goa and the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG); the 2025 PIB backgrounder adds that the NFDC jointly organises it with the ESG.
NFDC is a public sector enterprise under the Ministry, established in 1975, which supports independent cinema and co-productions and manages WAVES Film Bazaar.
The awards to remember
| Award | What it recognises |
|---|---|
| Golden Peacock | Best Film in the International Competition; the 2024 winner received a prize of ₹40 lakh |
| Silver Peacock | Best Director, Best Actor (Male), Best Actor (Female), Special Jury Prize |
| ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal | Films reflecting Gandhian ideals of peace and tolerance, in collaboration with the International Council for Film, Television and Audiovisual Communication |
| Best Debut Feature Film of a Director | First-time directors |
| Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award | Lifetime contribution to cinema; Michael Douglas received it in 2023 |
| Best Web Series (OTT) | Streaming content; Panchayat Season 2 won in 2023 |
Recent Golden Peacock winners, as reported by PIB: Endless Borders (Persian, Abbas Amini) in 2023; Toxic (Lithuania) in 2024; Skin of Youth (Vietnam) in 2025. A small curiosity: Anthony Chen, whose Drift won the Gandhi Medal in 2023 and who sat on the 2024 Golden Peacock jury, now has his film closing the 2026 festival.
IFFI and the national awards: do not mix them
A common exam trap is confusing IFFI with India's own film honours. The National Film Awards are the state's annual awards for Indian cinema; the Dadasaheb Phalke Award is the lifetime honour. IFFI is a festival, and its awards go mostly to international entries. Our explainer on the 72nd National Film Awards sets out the national structure.
Why the festival matters
Film festivals are an instrument of soft power: they let a country present its stories while hosting the world's. The Partner Country and Country of Honour slots, the BRICS focus and co-productions at WAVES Film Bazaar all use cinema to deepen relations. At home, IFFI gives regional cinema (18 languages in Indian Panorama), debut filmmakers and women directors a national stage, and supports the creative economy that the government is promoting.
🔑 Revision block
The news. At a curtain raiser on 13 November 2026, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting announced the 57th IFFI: 20-28 November 2026, Goa, theme 'Stories Without Borders'.
Scale. 1,900+ submissions from 137 countries; 150+ international films from 86 countries; 76 Indian Panorama films in 18 languages; 13 screens at 4 locations (4,000+ seats).
Films. Opening: Fatherland (Paweł Pawlikowski). Mid-fest: I Matter (Alina Șerban). Closing: We Are All Strangers (Anthony Chen). Indian Panorama opens with Dhurandhar and Becoming. BRICS segment opens with Ramayana.
Partners and new segments. Country of Honour Spain; Partner Country Russia; new segments Animation and Films About Films (five films each); BRICS cinema focus (all 11 members).
Industry. WAVES Film Bazaar (NFDC; since 2007); CMOT sixth edition (100 participants, 13 crafts).
History. First IFFI 1952, Bombay; Goa since 2004; permanent venue 2014; FIAPF-accredited; run by I&B Ministry with Goa Government and ESG; NFDC set up 1975.
Awards. Golden Peacock (₹40 lakh in 2024); ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal; Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award. Golden Peacock winners: 2023 Endless Borders, 2024 Toxic, 2025 Skin of Youth.
🎯 Practice MCQs
Q1. The 57th International Film Festival of India will be held in:
(a) Mumbai
(b) Kolkata
(c) Thiruvananthapuram
(d) Goa
→ (d)
IFFI has been held in Goa since 2004, and Goa was declared its permanent venue in 2014.
Q2. Which of the following is the theme of the 57th IFFI?
(a) Stories Without Borders
(b) Cinema for Peace
(c) Voices of the World
(d) Frames of Freedom
→ (a)
The theme 'Stories Without Borders' was announced at the curtain raiser on 13 November 2026.
Q3. The first International Film Festival of India was held in which year?
(a) 1947
(b) 1952
(c) 1961
(d) 1975
→ (b)
The first IFFI took place in 1952 in Bombay. The year 1975 is when the National Film Development Corporation was established.
Q4. Which of the following pairs is correctly matched for the 57th IFFI?
(a) Country of Honour: Russia
(b) Partner Country: Spain
(c) Country of Honour: Spain
(d) Partner Country: Japan
→ (c)
Spain is the Country of Honour and Russia the Partner Country in 2026. In 2025 Spain was the Partner Country and Japan the Country of Focus.
Q5. The ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal at IFFI is given to films that:
(a) have earned the highest box-office collection
(b) are directed by first-time filmmakers
(c) are restored versions of classic films
(d) reflect the Gandhian ideals of peace and tolerance
→ (d)
The medal is given in collaboration with the International Council for Film, Television and Audiovisual Communication (ICFT) and UNESCO. Debut directors are covered by a separate award.
Q6. Consider the following statements about IFFI.
1. It is organised by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting with the Government of Goa and the Entertainment Society of Goa.
2. The National Film Development Corporation manages WAVES Film Bazaar.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
→ (c)
Both statements match PIB's description. NFDC is a public sector enterprise under the Ministry, set up in 1975.
Q7. Which of the following is a new segment introduced at the 57th IFFI?
(a) Animation
(b) Docu-Montage
(c) Mission Life
(d) Experimental Films
→ (a)
Animation and Films About Films are the two new segments. The other three were among the curated sections of the 2025 edition.
Q8. The special focus segment on BRICS cinema at the 57th IFFI will showcase films from:
(a) five founding members only
(b) all 11 member countries
(c) the Global South only
(d) India and Russia only
→ (b)
PIB says the segment will include films from all 11 BRICS members, along with partner countries, with India's Ramayana as the opening film.
📋 How this gets asked (PYQ pattern)
Art-and-culture questions on cinema follow a stable pattern.
The first is place and year: where a festival is held and when it began. IFFI's pair is Goa and 1952, with 2004 and 2014 as the Goa dates, and options often swap them with other cities or with 1975.
The second is who gives what: the Golden Peacock, the Gandhi Medal and the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award at IFFI versus the National Film Awards and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award from the government. Mixing up the two is the classic trap.
The third is the news hook: the theme, the Country of Honour and Partner Country, the opening film and the new segments. The fresh hooks this cycle are 'Stories Without Borders', Spain and Russia, BRICS cinema, and the two new segments Animation and Films About Films.
Preparing for CDS? Keep a one-page sheet of festivals, awards and the bodies that run them; it is high-yield and quick to revise. Build the habit with our CDS/OTA study material, follow the daily CDS current affairs, and learn with experienced faculty in the upcoming Cavalier courses in Delhi.
Source: PIB / Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, "IFFI 2026 Set to Bring the World of Cinema Together in Goa Under the Theme 'Stories Without Borders'", 13 November 2026. History and awards from PIB releases and backgrounders on IFFI of 8 November 2022, 28 November 2023, 27 and 28 November 2024, and 15 and 28 November 2025.
✍️ Written by Hitendra Deswal — Polity & current-affairs faculty at The Cavalier. Reviewed by the Cavalier Faculty Desk.