A World of Cinema, Beyond the Familiar

By Pickle November 13, 2026

IFFI’s international programme brings acclaimed filmmakers, cross-border productions and restored classics to Goa. Paweł Pawlikowski’s Fatherland will open the festival, Alina Șerban’s I Matter will screen at its midpoint, and Anthony Chen’s We Are All Strangers will close it.

Fatherland follows Thomas Mann and his daughter Erika through divided, post-war Germany in 1949. A co-production involving Poland, Germany, Italy and France, it gives the festival’s “Stories Without Borders” theme a historical setting.

I Matter, co-produced by Romania, Germany and Belgium, features Romanian and Romani dialogue. Singapore’s We Are All Strangers is presented in Mandarin and English, adding another linguistic and cultural perspective to the festival’s headline selections.

Cinema of the World features Hirokazu Kore-eda’s Look Back, Kiyoshi Kurosawa’s The Samurai and the Prisoner, Lukas Dhont’s Coward and Wim Wenders’ From Inside Out – The Architecture of Peter Zumthor. These established names offer a starting point for delegates exploring the wider programme.

The International Competition brings together 15 films: 12 international titles and three Indian entries. Selections include Volker Schlöndorff’s Visitation, Narghiza Dotieva’s Skylark and Lê Bảo’s Hearing, a production spanning nine territories.

Spain, the Country of Honour, will present a selection including Pedro Almodóvar’s Bitter Christmas and Jaime Lorente’s The Bad Son. Russia joins as Partner Country with its own film showcase.

India’s Ramayana will open the BRICS showcase, which features films from member and partner countries. Festival Director Ashutosh Gowariker described the package as a window into worlds audiences might not encounter through their usual viewing choices.

Restored Classics turns the spotlight on Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, To Be or Not to Be, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Wild at Heart and Trainspotting. The section offers audiences a chance to revisit familiar favourites or discover them for the first time.