The 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) opened on November 20 with great pomp and fanfare in Panaji, Goa.
Goan chief minister Pramod Sawant opens IFFI 2025 with a traditional and auspicious watering of the Tulsi plant,
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Touted as ‘Asia’s largest film festival’, this year’s edition features 270 films from 84 countries, opening with Brazilian director Gabriel Mascaro’s Blue Trail, which arrives fresh off its Silver Bear Grand Jury Prize at Berlin.
“Goa’s about to be the biggest film festival in the world in a few years,” said festival director and veteran director Shekhar Kapur in his opening remarks.“I think in two, three years we’ll have 100,000 people, and we will be as big as the Cannes Festival very soon.”
Jointly hosted by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India and the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG), State Government of Goa, the lineup includes multiple world and Asia premieres, offering global audiences their first glimpse of cinema from emerging markets and established powerhouses alike.
The opening ceremony drew dignitaries including Indian Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L. Murugan, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Goa Governor Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju, and Information and Broadcasting Secretary Sanjay Jaju. The event also attracted Telugu cinema star Nandamuri Balakrishna, festival director Shekhar Kapur, and actor Anupam Kher.
Goa CM Pramod Sawant with the cast and crew of The Blue Trail — director Gabriel Mascaro, Clarissa Pinheiro, Rosa Malagueta, and veteran actor Nandamuri Balakrishna.
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Global Collaborations and Showcases
Japan (Country of Focus), Spain (Partner Country), and Australia (Spotlight Country) lead this year’s international collaborations. Their curated slates sit alongside restored classics, centenary tributes, and newly expanded global sections intended to position IFFI more firmly on the international festival map.
The Gala Premieres lineup includes 13 world premieres, two Asia premieres and several India premieres — among them Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice, already an awards-season frontrunner. Notable world premieres include This Tempting Madness, a psychological thriller starring Simone Ashley and Austin Stowell, screening November 27.
Asia premieres include Uttera Singh’s Tribeca breakout Pinch, a dark comedic drama set during Navratri, and Lullaby for the Mountains, Armenian filmmaker Hayk Matevosyan’s debut feature backed by Béla Tarr. The closing film, Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke’s A Useful Ghost, arrives in Goa after winning the Cannes Critics’ Week Grand Prize.
A Festival Growing in Scope
The concurrent WAVES Film Bazaar — South Asia’s primary marketplace — is notably expanded this year, running through November 24. Its integration with the main festival continues to be an essential draw for global distributors and financiers. While the deal flow remains smaller compared to Cannes or Berlin, previous years’ data indicates a steady pipeline of acquisitions and co-production discussions.
New additions to 2025 include the first-ever IFFIESTA, a public-facing celebration of cinema culture, and the debut CinemAI Hackathon, a two-day event examining the artistic possibilities and ethical tensions around AI-assisted filmmaking.
Festival attendees can also look forward to 21 masterclasses and panel discussions featuring Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Anupam Kher, Christopher Charles Corbould OBE, Bobby Deol, Aamir Khan, Suhasini Maniratnam, Pete Draper, Sreekar Prasad and others — spanning storytelling, acting, cinematography, editing, VFX, AI, and the future of filmmaking.
Dancers perform at the opening parade for IFFI 2025.
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Honoring Rajinikanth’s 50 Years
IFFI 2025 will also honour legendary actor Rajinikanth for completing 50 years in cinema, marking a rare milestone that celebrates his enduring influence on Indian film culture. He will be felicitated at the Closing Ceremony, recognising his iconic body of work, his cross-generational popularity, and his role in shaping the visual and narrative language of Indian cinema.
A City-Sized Festival
The festival’s physical footprint spans Goa’s capital, with screenings across INOX multiplexes in Panaji and Porvorim, the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium, Maquinez Palace, Kala Academy, Ravindra Bhavan in Margao, and outdoor beach venues at Miramar and Anjuna.
Instead of the usual gala opening, organisers rolled out a carnival-style parade along the waterfront, featuring elaborate tableaux celebrating India’s cinematic heritage and cultural diversity.
IFFI 2025 will run from November 20th to 28th in Goa.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/hannahabraham/2025/11/21/as-big-as-cannes-very-soon-indias-biggest-film-festival-kicks-off-in-goa/
