Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2025 – Full Program Announced

The 2025 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) Launches Full Program

The 2025 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) today launches its full program, unveiling over 75 films in 31 languages, with the vast majority screening for the first time to Australian audiences.

Now in its 16th year and proudly backed by the Victorian Government, IFFM is the largest celebration of Indian cinema held outside India and will bring a bold and diverse selection of stories to screens across Melbourne and regional Victoria from 14th to 24th August.

“The 2025 Festival celebrates the creativity, courage and cultural richness of Indian cinema,” said IFFM Festival Director Mitu Bhowmick Lange AM. “From landmark retrospectives to bold new voices, this year’s program is a reflection of India’s dynamic storytelling traditions and its ongoing dialogue with the world.”

Opening and Closing Night

Opening Night – 14 August
IFFM will open with the Australian Premiere of Baksho Bondi (Shadowbox), fresh from its debut at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Directed by Tanushree Das and Saumyananda Sahi, this moving drama follows Maya, a working-class woman in India juggling three jobs to keep her family afloat, who is forced to confront her deepest fears when her husband suddenly disappears.

Director Tanushree Das, lead actress Tillotama Shome and producer Jim Sarbh will attend the screening at HOYTS District Docklands.

Closing Night – 24 August
The Festival will close with Homebound, the latest feature from Neeraj Ghaywan, produced by Karan Johar and executive produced by Martin Scorsese.

The film follows two childhood friends from northern India who aspire to join the police force in the hope of building a different future. It had its World Premiere in the 2025 Cannes Un Certain Regard section, where it received a nine-minute standing ovation.

Ghaywan, Johar and members of the cast will be in Melbourne to present the film on Closing Night.

Festival Guests

IFFM is honoured to welcome Aamir Khan as the Festival’s official Chief Guest. Widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in Indian cinema, Khan will be celebrated with a retrospective program featuring landmark works including Taare Zameen Par, PK, Dangal and Lagaan.

A special screening of his latest film Sitaare Zameen Par will be followed by an on-stage conversation with director R.S. Prasanna and Aparna Purohit, CEO of Aamir Khan Films. The film follows a basketball coach assigned to community service, who discovers a new purpose in mentoring a team of neurodivergent adults.

The retrospective will honour Khan’s four-decade legacy of inclusive, socially conscious storytelling.

Also attending the Festival is internationally renowned comedian and Emmy-winner Vir Das, who will appear in an exclusive In Conversation session on 17 August. Known for his Netflix specials, Das is currently on his record-breaking Mind Fool world tour.

Other Festival guests include actor and dancer Malaika Arora and casting director and filmmaker Mukesh Chhabra.

Special Events

Flag Hoisting Ceremony – Federation Square
A cherished IFFM tradition marking India’s Independence Day, the annual Flag Hoisting Ceremony will take place on Saturday 16 August at Federation Square.

Led by Chief Guest Aamir Khan, the event brings together film fans, families and the broader community to celebrate Indian culture and cinema with music, dance and national pride.

Remitly IFFM Dance Competition
Immediately following the flag hoisting, Federation Square will erupt into colour and movement with the Remitly IFFM Dance Competition – a high-energy public event that celebrates choreography, creativity and cultural fusion.

IFFM Pride Day – 22 August
A dedicated day of screenings and celebrations amplifying LGBTQIA+ voices in Indian cinema. Highlights include:

Badnam Basti (1971) – India’s first queer film, recently rediscovered.
We Are Faheem and Karun – a contemporary queer romance set in Kashmir by filmmaker Onir.

The day culminates in a Bollywood Pride Party with drag performances and dancefloor anthems.

IFFM Regional Rhapsody – 23 & 24 August
IFFM takes a curated selection of program highlights to regional Victoria, with screenings in Geelong, Bendigo and Shepparton – expanding access to Indian cinema and connecting communities across the state.

Program Highlights

With more than 75 films screening in 2025, this year’s program spans debut features, award-winners, regional gems and urgent contemporary stories. Highlights include:

Boong – Centrepiece film about a boy’s journey across borders to find his missing father (Toronto premiere).
Humans in the Loop – A quiet, affecting story about AI, gender and survival in rural Jharkhand.
Pinch – Tribeca hit about a vlogger speaking out on assault in a small town.
The Fable – A haunting Himalayan mystery exploring colonial legacies.
The Shameless – Cannes selection; a defiant queer drama about love and refuge.
Feminichi Fathima – A feminist portrait of a housewife’s quiet fight for autonomy.
Village Rockstars 2 – Rima Das returns with a lyrical continuation of her 2017 breakout hit.