The 17th Indian Film Festival Melbourne (IFFM) has unveiled its nominations, recognizing some of the most acclaimed films, performances and filmmakers from across Indian cinema.This year’s festival will be held from 13 to 23 August 2026, supported by the Victorian Government. Along with the awards ceremony, the event will feature premieres, special screenings, master classes, panel discussions, industry interactions and cultural programs.
Strong competition in the Best Picture category
The race for the Best Picture award features productions from multiple languages and genres. The nominated films are Haq, Jarann, Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1, Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, Saiyaara, Sitaare Zameen Par, Sharthopor and The Great Shamsuddin Family. “Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1” has become one of the notable candidates after its successful theatrical run. The Best Director category is equally competitive. 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 Rishab Shetty among the Best Actor nominees
The Best Performance (Male) category features several of the biggest names in Indian cinema. The nominees are Aamir Khan, Ahaan Panday, Bhuman Bhargav Das, Dulquer Salmaan, Mammootty, Ranveer SinghRishab Shetty and Sanjay Mishra. Meanwhile, Best Performance (Female) nominees include Aneet Padda, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Kirti Kulhari, Neena Gupta, Rajshri Deshpande, Rani Mukerji, Rituparna Sengupta and Yami Gautam Dhar. For Rishab Shetty, this year’s nominations are particularly meaningful as he has earned recognition as both a filmmaker and an actor.
The streaming and TV categories include popular titles
The festival has also recognized outstanding work in the streaming space. The Best Performance in a Serial category includes 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 DugalSeema Pahwa, Shefali Shah and Swastika Mukherjee. The nominees for Best Series are ‘Baai Tujhyapayi’, ‘Kohrra: Season 2’, ‘Matka King’, ‘Real Kashmir Football Club’, ‘Sapne Vs Everyone’, ‘The Ba***ds of Bollywood’, ‘Perfect Family’ and ‘Freedom at Midnight: Season 2’.Winners in all categories will be decided by an independent panel of respected figures from Australia’s film industry and cultural sector. The awards will be presented during the closing ceremony of the festival at the end of August, reports IANS.