The 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) is set to open with a spectacular splash today in Panaji, Goa, transforming the state's streets into a vibrant celebration of cinematic and cultural brilliance. The grand inaugural parade, a key highlight, promises to set a festive tone for the nine-day event, which will run until November 28.
A Grand Inaugural Spectacle
Scheduled to commence at 3:30 PM from the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) office and conclude at the Kala Academy, the inaugural parade will be a visual extravaganza. It will be led by tableaux from the states of Andhra Pradesh, Haryana, and Goa, showcasing India's diverse cultural tapestry. The parade will also feature creations from India's iconic film studios and mark a significant milestone: the 50-year journey of the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).
A Global Cinematic Feast
The scale of this year's IFFI is monumental, with screenings of over 240 films from more than 81 countries. The festival will open with the Brazilian film The Blue Trail by director Gabriel Mascaro, which won the Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at the Berlinale 2025. The international segment is a curated collection of acclaimed films, including Jafar Panahi's It Was Just An Accident, Jim Jarmusch's anthology Father Mother Sister Brother, and Park Chan-wook's No Other Choice.
The Indian Panorama section is equally robust, presenting 25 feature films, 20 non-feature films, and 5 debut features. The feature film section will be opened by the Tamil film Amaran, directed by Rajkumar Periasamy, while the non-feature section will kick off with Kamlesh K Mishra's Kakori. The section will also showcase regional gems like the Braj-language Vimukt, Marathi-language Gondhal, and Kannada-language Su From So.
Honouring Legends and Industry Insights
This edition will pay tribute to stalwarts of Indian cinema in their centenary year, including Guru Dutt, Raj Khosla, Ritwik Ghatak, P Bhanumathi, Bhupen Hazarika, and Salil Chowdhury. The closing ceremony will see megastar Rajinikanth being honoured for completing 50 glorious years in cinema.
Beyond screenings, the festival will host over 20 masterclasses and panel discussions featuring luminaries such as Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Anupam Kher, Aamir Khan, Bobby Deol, and Oscar-winning special effects expert Christopher Charles Corbould OBE. A key industry event, the WAVES Film Bazaar, will run from November 20 to 24, focusing on a co-production market and featuring projects by Kiran Rao, Vikramaditya Motwane, and Shakun Batra.
First held in 1952, IFFI is South Asia's oldest and largest film festival. Since 2004, it has found its permanent home in Goa, jointly organized by the NFDC, the Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and the Entertainment Society of Goa.
