Indian Film Festival of Melbourne

The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) is a Victorian Government initiative that aims to strengthen ties between the Indian film industry and Victoria. It is presented by Film Victoria and the State Government of Victoria, and produced by Mind Blowing Films, a Melbourne-based distributor of Indian cinema across Australia and New Zealand. It was established in 2012 as an initiative of the Victorian Coalition Government. Bollywood actress, Vidya Balan is the ambassador for the Indian Film Festival Melbourne, and has been since its initiation. IFFM is an important fixture in the local arts calendar: permitting a local audience to rub shoulders with some of Bollywood's best. The festival presents a diverse array of film and events: with cinema: both indie and Bollywood, curated from across both India and the diaspora, and strives to foster an inclusive cultural collaboration.

The 2016 Festival boasted 51 films and documentaries from all across India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Australia. The festival included movies in over 15 different languages from India and the subcontinent.

IFFM 2016 started with its Opening Night on Thursday the 11th of August with theme of Female Empowerment and the screening of Parched at Hoyts Melbourne Central. Parched director Leena Yadav along with Radhika Apte, who starred in the film, were in attendance for a Q&A session for the film. Richa Chadha, Kapoor & Sons actor Fawad Khan and director Shakun Batra were also in attendance.

The following night, the third IFFM Awards Night was held at the Melbourne Recital Centre, where 900+ guests and many Bollywood celebrities where in attendance. Surprise guests included rising star Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Sonam Kapoor who were also awarded the Best Actor and Actress of 2016. The Jury for 2016 were Simi Garewal, Jill Bilcock, Ranjeev Masand, Sue Maslin, Paul Ireland and Andrew Anastasios.

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