Welcome to the South Australia edition of the
National Indian Film Festival of Australia (NIFFA)

Australia’s first and only national celebration of Indian cinema returns in 2026 with an expanded program and a historic national footprint.

We are deeply grateful for the extraordinary support from audiences, filmmakers, and partners that has enabled NIFFA 2026 to grow into the largest national celebration of Indian cinema anywhere in the world outside India, spanning 13+ cities, presenting 32+ films in official selection across 15 Indian languages, with every film screening as an Australian, International, or World Premiere.

We thank the filmmakers and the global industry, along with key partners such as the National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC), for entrusting us with their work. That trust is both an honour and a responsibility, one we carry with great care as we present these stories to Australian audiences.

True to its spirit as a festival for filmmakers, by filmmakers, and of filmmakers, NIFFA 2026 also features a dynamic program of red carpets, special screenings, panel discussions, and industry conversations, creating space not just to showcase cinema, but to engage with it meaningfully.

South Australia is a particularly personal stop for me. I have spent a great deal of time in Adelaide over the years, where my maternal family lives, and the city has always held a special place in my own Australia–India journey.

Under the leadership of then Premier Mike Rann and South Australian Film Corporation CEO Ms Helen Leake AM, South Australia and India enjoyed what I still remember as a golden period. It was a time when the possibilities felt real: Love Story 2050 brought Priyanka Chopra, Harman Baweja and a major Indian production to Adelaide; MTV Roadies followed; and there were major advertising and screen moments involving icons such as Sachin Tendulkar and Brett Lee. For a while, South Australia was not just interested in India, it was actively part of the India screen conversation.

South Australia also has a long and very special section in my current film Brand Bollywood Downunder, because the state’s place in the Australia–India screen story deserves to be remembered, recognised, and hopefully revived.

Unfortunately, despite Australia and India now having a co-production treaty, the interest in India from South Australian screen sector has not matched the promise of that earlier period event though South Australia has the locations, talent, infrastructure, cultural depth, and history to once again play a meaningful role in this growing relationship.

As we bring NIFFA to South Australia, with the support of important cultural institutions including The Mercury, and with encouragement from the Lord Mayor of Adelaide, Dr Jane Lomax-Smith AM, we are keen to help reinvigorate interest in India within government, tourism, cultural, and screen sectors, for the benefit of South Australia, its creative industries, and its diverse communities.

With the inspirational Brian Hayes KC guiding and supporting us, we look forward to building a meaningful and memorable NIFFA presence in Adelaide, reopening a conversation, rebuilding a bridge, and reminding South Australia of the cultural and commercial opportunities that sit within the India relationship.

The South Australia edition of NIFFA is part of a larger vision, one that connects cinema, culture, community, and commerce between Australia and India, while bringing world cinema into conversation with one of Australia’s most creative and culturally vibrant states.

It is your platform. We invite you to embrace it, use it, and make it your own — a shared cultural space that celebrates diversity, fosters dialogue, and enriches Australia’s vibrant screen culture.