From Aamir Khan, Mammootty, Ahaan Panday Ranveer Singh to Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1, Haq and Saiyaara among others will be seen contending for the Best Actor and Film honour at the 17th edition of
Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM).
The festival will take place from August 13 to August 23, 2026, supported by the Victorian Government. The winners will be chosen by a jury comprising some of the most respected names from Australia’s film industry and cultural landscape.
The 17th Indian Film Festival of Melbourne will feature an exciting programme of film premieres, special screenings, panel discussions, masterclasses, industry events, cultural celebrations, and the highly anticipated awards ceremony, reaffirming its position as a premier global showcase for Indian cinema.
Films that have been nominated include Haq, Jarann, Kantara: A Legend – Chapter 1, Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, Saiyaara, Sitaare Zameen Par, Sharthopor and The Great Shamsuddin Family.
Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Chandrasish Ray, Mohit Suri, Ramalingam Gowtham, Rima Das Rishab Shetty, R.S. Prasanna and Shazia Iqbal are competing in the Best Director section.
The nominations for Best Performance (Male) are Aamir Khan, Ahaan Pandey, Bhuman Bhargav Das, Dulquer Salmaan, Mammootty, Ranveer Singh, Rishab Shetty and Sanjay Mishra.
Then there is Aneet Padda, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Kirti Kulhari, Neena Gupta, Rajshri Deshpande, Rani Mukerji, Rituparna Sengupta and Yami Gautam Dhar in the Best Performance (Female) category.
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 Dugal, Seema Pahwa, Shefali Shah and Swastika Mukherjee are contending in the Best Performance (Male) and (Female) Series category.
For Best Series the nominations include 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.
