Australia’s Nationwide Indian Movie Competition (NIFFA) is increasing into regional territories and has signed partnerships with India’s Nationwide Movie Growth Company (NFDC) and the Worldwide Movie Competition of India (IFFI) forward of its 2026 version.
The competition, which spans seven Australian capital cities together with Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, will add six regional areas for 2026: Damaged Hill, Alice Springs, Dubbo, Leeton, Griffith and Geelong. Extra regional facilities are being added in coming weeks, organizers mentioned.
NIFFA is signing a memorandum of understanding with NFDC India and IFFI on the WAVES Movie Bazaar, positioning the competition as a key platform for Indian cinema in Australia.
The growth comes as India has change into the most important supply of recent migrants to Australia, with Punjabi now the fastest-growing language within the nation. Indian movies are at present outperforming Australian movies on the home field workplace, in accordance with competition organizers. The shift, mixed with the Australia-India Co-Manufacturing Treaty, has positioned Australia as a strategic gateway for Indian cinema.
“NIFFA was created to honor India’s many cinemas, not simply Bollywood, and to provide Australia a nationwide platform to have interaction with Indian storytelling,” mentioned Anupam Sharma, the competition’s director and founder. “The love we obtain from cities and regional facilities throughout Australia exhibits that this competition isn’t rising — it’s exploding. With NFDC and IFFI approaching board, NIFFA 2026 would be the largest nationwide celebration of Indian cinema outdoors India.”
A brand new part titled “His Excellency Recommends” will function 5 Indian movies curated by the Indian Excessive Commissioner for Australian audiences.
New programming features a Co-Manufacturing Pitch Discussion board connecting Indian and Australian producers with funding our bodies and studios, with one venture receiving a co-production and distribution deal. Discussion board Movies, an Indian cinema distributor working in India, Fiji and New Zealand, will fund one distribution deal for the Australia-New Zealand territory.
Returning companions for 2026 embrace Dendy Cinemas, NDTV, SBS, Marriott, Murdoch College and the Australia India Enterprise Council, which celebrates its fortieth anniversary subsequent yr.
The 2026 version has assembled an advisory council together with Western Australia’s first Sikh Member of Parliament Parwinder Kaur, Kings Counsel Brian Hayes, and a number of other state legislators together with NSW Members of Parliament Warren Kirby and Charishma Kaliyanda, Northern Territory Minister Jinson Charls, and Movement Image Affiliation VP of communications for Asia Pacific Stephen Jenner.
Kaur described the competition as embodying the spirit of Australia-India collaboration, weaving tales that transcend borders and have a good time range. “Tradition and creativity are the DNA of human connection,” she mentioned.
Hayes famous that movie is a significant part of the humanities business that opens up the world to sharing tales throughout boundaries. India and Australia share many widespread options, he mentioned, which mix to make NIFFA a perfect automobile for collaboration.
Kirby emphasised the big alternative for collaboration between Indian and Australian cinema. “We’ve a few of the world’s finest manufacturing crews and storytellers, and there may be an thrilling future in larger ties between the 2 industries,” he mentioned.
Charls known as cinema some of the highly effective methods to share tales, struggles, humor and hopes. “The Nationwide Indian Movie Competition of Australia brings this extraordinary storytelling custom to new audiences, strengthening the cultural, social and people-to-people ties between India and Australia,” he mentioned. Within the Northern Territory, range is well known as a energy, and the competition exemplifies how artwork can bridge distances and produce communities collectively, he added.
Jenner mentioned he’s excited to hitch the NIFFA advisory board at a time when Indian cinema is coming into a outstanding new chapter, with creativity surging throughout languages, genres and generations. “International audiences are paying consideration like by no means earlier than. This can be a second of growth, alternative and reinvention,” he mentioned. “NIFFA has an necessary position to play in showcasing this vitality to Australian audiences and constructing new bridges between our display screen industries.”
Kaliyanda mentioned she’s proud to assist drive a daring imaginative and prescient for the way forward for unbiased movie and artistic storytelling, working to construct a stronger, extra sustainable and revolutionary business.
Australia India Enterprise Council chair Deepak Raj Gupta added: “AIBC seems to be ahead to collaborating with NIFFA for necessary conversations round commerce, cinema and tradition between Australia and India.”
The competition takes place within the second half of March 2026, with movie submissions closing Jan. 20. This system will likely be introduced on Australia Day, which coincides with India’s Republic Day on Jan. 26.
