NEW DELHI: The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) has announced the nominations for its 17th edition, with films including Sitaare Zameen Par, Kantara: A Legend - Chapter 1, Saiyaara, Members of the Problematic Family and Not a Hero emerging as major contenders across several categories.
Scheduled to take place from 13 August to 23 August 2026, the festival celebrates Indian cinema and streaming content from across languages and regions. Supported by the Victorian Government, IFFM is among the largest international festivals dedicated to Indian films.
This year’s nominations recognise films released in cinemas as well as content from streaming platforms, with awards spanning categories such as Best Film, Best Indie Film, Best Director, acting honours, Best Series, Best Documentary Film and Best Film from the Subcontinent.
The nominees for Best Film include Haq, Jarann, Kantara: A Legend - Chapter 1, Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, Saiyaara, Sitaare Zameen Par, Sharthopor and The Great Shamsuddin Family.
The Best Indie Film category features Ammang Haelbeda (Don’t Tell Mother), Full Plate, Kikkran De Phull (Flowers of Acacia), Lala and Poppy, Mayilaa - Semmalar Annam, Members of the Problematic Family, Not a Hero and Pankhudiyaan (Petals in the Wind).
The Best Director category includes Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari for System, Chandrasish Ray for Porshi, Mohit Suri for Saiyaara, Ramalingam Gowtham for Members of the Problematic Family, Rima Das for Not a Hero, Rishab Shetty for Kantara: A Legend - Chapter 1, RS Prasanna for Sitaare Zameen Par and Shazia Iqbal for Dhadak 2.
The Best Performance (Male) category will see Aamir Khan, Ahaan Pandey, Bhuman Bhargav Das, Dulquer Salmaan, Mammootty, Ranveer Singh, Rishab Shetty and Sanjay Mishra competing for the honour.
The nominees for Best Performance (Female) include Aneet Padda, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Kirti Kulhari, Neena Gupta, Rajshri Deshpande, Rani Mukerji, Rituparna Sengupta and Yami Gautam Dhar.
The festival has also recognised achievements in streaming content, with series such as Kohrra: Season 2, Matka King, Sapne Vs Everyone, Freedom at Midnight: Season 2 and The Ba**ds of Bollywood* receiving nominations.
The winners will be chosen by a jury comprising members of Australia’s film industry and cultural sector. Alongside the awards ceremony, IFFM 2026 will feature film premieres, special screenings, panel discussions, masterclasses and industry events.
(With inputs from ANI)