Overview of 56th IFFI Held in Goa from 20 to 28 November 2025

The 56th edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) was held from November 20 to 28, 2025, in Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium in Panaji, Goa.

• IFFI 2025 features Japan as the Country of Focus, Spain as the Partner Country, and Australia as the Spotlight Country.

About IFFI 2025:

Background: It was established in 1952 and first organized in Mumbai (then Bombay) (Maharashtra), with an aim to showcase Indian films to the world and bring international cinema to India.

• Since 2004, it has been held as an annual event in Goa.

Theme: The festival highlights the “Convergence of Creativity and Technology,” showcasing how modern tech is reshaping filmmaking.

Organizers: The event was organized by the National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC), under Ministry of Information and Broadcasting (MIB), in collaboration with the State Government of Goa, and the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG).

Participation: The event screened around 240+ films from 81 countries, including 13 world premieres, 5 international premieres, and 44 Asian premieres, selected from a record 2,314 submissions across 127 countries.

Screening Components: It includes International Competition, Indian Panorama (Feature & Non-Feature), World Cinema Showcase, Documentaries & Special Screenings, and Tribute Screenings.

Jury Member: Kamlesh K Mishra, a National Film Award-winning filmmaker was a member of the Jury for Indian Panorama Feature category.

Highlights of the 56th IFFI:

Carnival Parade: Pramod Sawant , Chief Minister (CM) of Goa and Governor of Goa Pusapati Ashok Gajapthi Raju inaugurated IFFI 2025 with a street carnival parade through Panaji for the first time, replacing the traditional indoor opening ceremony.

• It included 26 film-themed floats, including film heritage, production houses, states of India, animation, and Visual Effects(VFX) themes, cultural performances, and public participation.

Opening Film: The film “The Blue Trail” by Brazilian Director Gabriel Mascaro was screened as the Opening Film.

Programmes: This year’s programming includes nine curated sections: Docu-Montage, From the Festivals, Rising Stars, Mission Life, Experimental Films, Restored Classics, Macabre Dreams, United Nations Children’s Fund(UNICEF), and Cinema of the World.

• Overall, IFFI 2025 will present 15 competitive and curated segments, featuring major categories such as the International Competition, Best Debut Feature Film of a Director, and the International Council for Film, Television and Audiovisual Communication – United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization(ICFT-UNESCO) Gandhi Medal.

Felicitation: During the carnival, Nandamuri Balakrishna, Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), Andhra Pradesh (AP) received the Special Recognition for Contribution to Indian Cinema.

• The festival honoured legendary film artists : Guru Dutt, Raj Khosla, Bhanumati, Bhuwan, and Ritwik, along with long-time contributors Rajinikanth and Balakrishna for completing 50 years in Indian cinema

Closing Film: A Thai film “A Useful Ghost” by Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke was screened as the Closing Film.

Key Events of IFFI 2025:

WAVES Film Bazaar: 

Overview: On November 20, 2025, Union Minister of State (MoS) Dr. L. Murugan, MIB, inaugurated the 19th edition of WAVES Film Bazaar, South Asia’s premier global film market, held from November 20 to 24, 2025, at the Marriott Resort in Panaji.

Background: It was initially launched as ‘Film Bazaar’ by NFDC in 2007, which was rebranded as ‘WAVES Film Bazaar ‘in 2025. It is a platform for filmmakers, producers, distributors, and festival programmers to explore creative and financial collaborations.

Film Projects: The Bazaar featured over 300 film projects across verticals such as the Screenwriters’ Lab, Market Screenings, Viewing Room Library, and Co-Production Market, encompassing 22 feature films and 5 documentaries.

• The bazaar recommended a section showcasing 22 notable films, delegation from over 7 countries, film incentives from over 10 Indian states.

Tech Pavilion: It includes cutting-edge VFX, Computer-Generated Imagery (CGI), animation, and digital production tools.

CinemaAI Hackathon: The Cinema Artificial Intelligence (AI) Hackathon, organized in partnership with Larsen and Toubro Infotech (LTI)MindTree, encouraged participants to experiment with AI-driven storytelling, develop certification processes for films, and create solutions to prevent piracy.

Outcome: The Bazaar reportedly generated business leads worth Rs.1,050 crore, underscoring its growing significance as a major commercial and creative marketplace for the global film industry.

• In a landmark development, WAVES Film Bazaar 2025 facilitated the signing of four key MoUs with Australian media and entertainment partners, including agreements between the International Film Festival of India (IFFI), NFDC, and the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, as well as between Deakin University, the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII, Pune, Maharashtra), and the Indian Institute of Creative Technologies (IICT, Mumbai, Maharashtra).

India’s First AI Film Festival:

AI Film Festival: The WAVES Film Bazaar and IFFI, in collaboration with LTIMindtree, launched the first-ever Artificial intelligence (AI) Film Festival in Goa.

Winners:

• The Craft Master Award – Best AI Short Film (Rs.3,00,000): NAGORI (France) by Guillaume Hurbault.
• The Craft Vanguard Award – Most Innovative Use of AI / Experimental Narrative (Rs.2,00,000): The Cinema That Never Was (Germany) by Mark Wachholz.
• The Craft Spectra Award – Best AI Animation / Visual Design (Rs.1,00,000): Kyra (USA) by Meta Puppet.
• Jury Special Mentions: The Last Backup Final Part (English) by Sreerithanya M. and Miracle on Kachua Beach (Hindi) by Shivanshu Nirupa.

CMOT 2025: 

Event: On the sidelines of IFFI 2025, Union MoS Dr. L. Murugan launched the fifth edition of the Creative Minds of Tomorrow (CMOT), a talent development programme run by the MIB with NFDC.

Exposure: CMOT 2025 aims to discover, nurture, and spotlight the rising stars of the Indian film industry, giving young filmmakers from across India a platform to showcase skills, collaborate, and gain exposure on an international stage.

13 Crafts: CMOT recognizes 13 film-making crafts such as Direction; Acting; Cinematography; Editing & Subtitling; Scriptwriting; Playback singing; Music composition; Sound recording; Costume design; hair & makeup; Art direction; Animation, VFX, Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR); and Voiceover, dubbing.

Participation: 125 young talents took part in an intense 48-hour filmmaking challenge, turning ideas into films.

UNICEF partnered with NFDC:

Partnership: UNICEF partnered with NFDC for the fourth year to spotlight childhood through cinema.

Film Package: It includes Odyssey of Joy (Kosovo, France), Happy Birthday (Egypt), The Beetle Project (South Korea), Kadal Kanni (India-Tamil), and Putul (India-Hindi).

Commemorative Stamp Released: During the event, Pramod Sawant, CM of Goa released a commemorative postal stamp commemorating the 100th birth anniversary of K Vaikunth, a renowned cinematographer and filmmaker, in recognition of his lifetime contribution to Indian cinema.

• The stamp features the portrait of K Vaikunth along with elements representing cinema and filmmaking.
• During IFFI 2025, India Post, under the Ministry of Communication, offered its popular ‘My Stamp’ service, generating excitement among film enthusiasts and stamp collectors eager to create personalised stamp templates.

List of 2025 IFFI Award Winners:

About Goa:
Chief Minister (CM) – Pramod Sawant
Governor – Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju
Capital – Panaji
Wildlife Sanctuary (WLS) – Mhadei WLS, Netravali WLS