IFFI Goa Unveils ‘Stories Without Borders’ Line-up

By Pickle  November 13, 2026

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World cinema, Indian languages and emerging talent will share the spotlight at the 57th edition. The IFFI Curtain raiser press conference outlined a programme linking film discovery with cultural exchange, professional learning and industry opportunities.

The 57th International Film Festival of India will bring more than 150 international films from 86 countries to Goa from November 20 to 28, with organisers placing cross-cultural storytelling, new filmmakers and a wider range of cinematic forms at the centre of this year’s programme. Unveiling the line-up at the curtain-raiser press conference, speakers outlined how the theme, “Stories Without Borders”, would connect the festival’s screenings, learning programmes and industry engagement.

Paweł Pawlikowski’s Fatherland will open the festival, Alina Șerban’s I Matter will screen as the mid-festival film, and Anthony Chen’s We Are All Strangers will close the edition. The programme also includes Spain as Country of Honour, Russia as Partner Country and a BRICS showcase opening with India’s Ramayana.

Information and Broadcasting Secretary Chanchal Kumar said the festival’s purpose extended beyond presenting films to building understanding between societies. “The opportunity before us is to take these distinctive voices to wider audiences and equally to welcome the stories of the world into India,” Chanchal Kumar said.

Chanchal Kumar described India’s cinema as drawing on diverse languages, regional traditions and contemporary experiences. “A story may emerge from a particular place, culture, or moment in history, but its emotions often belong to everyone,” Chanchal Kumar said.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the state was ready to welcome the international film community. “As cinema transcends boundaries and brings people and cultures together, Goa is once again ready to roll out the red carpet and welcome the world of cinema!” Pramod Sawant said in remarks published by PIB.

Speaking in Konkani at the press conference, Pramod Sawant encouraged Goan students, actors and emerging filmmakers to register and make use of the festival’s opportunities. Pramod Sawant also highlighted screenings across Panaji, Porvorim, Margao and Ponda, alongside plans for open-air screenings and continued state support for the event.

Festival Director Ashutosh Gowariker said the theme had guided the selection of films rather than serving only as a promotional line. “Borders today are not only lines on a map. They are also habits,” Ashutosh Gowariker said. “A story is one of the few things that can cross such a line without a passport.”

Ashutosh Gowariker described the festival as an opportunity to move beyond familiar languages, screens and perspectives. “It is not a slogan for a poster,” Ashutosh Gowariker said, explaining that the programming sought films capable of taking audiences somewhere they had not been.

That approach also extends to Indian Panorama, which brings together 25 feature films and 20 non-feature films. Aditya Dhar’s Hindi feature Dhurandhar will open the feature strand, while Leena Yadav’s Ladakhi-language Becoming will open the non-feature strand, placing two different cinematic and linguistic experiences at the beginning of the showcase.

NFDC Managing Director Dheeraj Singh said the festival was expanding its programming with two new sections, Animation and Films About Films, each featuring five titles. “The festival is forward-looking,” Dheeraj Singh said, pointing to the representation of women and debut filmmakers in the programme.

Dheeraj Singh said Films About Films had emerged from suggestions by filmmakers seeking greater attention to the creative process. The intention, Dheeraj Singh said, was to ensure that “the art and craft of filmmaking is at the forefront of IFFI”.

The emphasis on craft will continue through 14 sessions at Kala Academy from November 21 to 27, combining masterclasses, workshops, panel discussions and conversations on subjects including documentary cinema, casting, subtitling and filmmaking across borders. Dheeraj Singh said the programme was continuing to add participants, with the curtain-raiser presentation naming Girish Kasaravalli, John Sheedy, Farhan Akhtar, Ashutosh Gowariker and Madhur Bhandarkar.

The industry programme will run alongside the festival through the 20th edition of WAVES Film Bazaar, scheduled for November 20 to 24. Chanchal Kumar described the market as “a space where cinema meets commerce”, with its Co-production Market, Screenwriters’ Lab, Viewing Room and Work-in-Progress Lab connecting filmmakers with professional networks and potential partners.

Chanchal Kumar also linked the changing film landscape to developments in animation, visual effects, immersive media and artificial intelligence. “Our efforts must be to ensure that technology strengthens the storyteller’s imagination and that creators have the skills, platforms, and opportunities to participate in this changing landscape,” Chanchal Kumar said.

The Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, will anchor the delivery of this year’s Creative Minds of Tomorrow programme, Dheeraj Singh said. The initiative is organised by NFDC in collaboration with FTII Pune. For emerging practitioners, the sixth Creative Minds of Tomorrow programme will bring together 100 selected participants across 13 filmmaking crafts, with workshops, a 48-hour filmmaking challenge and a Talent Camp. The initiative adds a practical learning component to a festival programme that also includes debut-film competitions, restored classics and a five-film tribute to Andrzej Wajda.

Ashutosh Gowariker ended his address with a direct invitation to audiences: “Watch at least one film that you normally won’t choose.” Urging viewers to explore unfamiliar languages and filmmakers, Ashutosh Gowariker added: “Let the subtitles do their work.”