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The 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will be held in Goa from November 20 to 28 and feature over 240 films from 81 countries, including 13 world premieres, five international premieres and 44 Asian premieres, officials said on Friday. The 2025 edition of the IFFI will run from November 20 to 28.
Tamil superstar Rajinikanth will be felicitated in the closing ceremony. The actor will be honoured for completing 50 years of his cinematic journey.
Japan has been named the ‘Country of Focus’ for 2025 and six curated titles, representing the nation’s evolving cinematic language, will be screened at the festival. This year’s festival received a record 2,314 submissions from 127 countries, including 1098 entries from 18 different languages from India.
“IFFI 2025 marks a significant chapter as it embraces inclusivity and diversity, showcasing voices from all corners of the world while spotlighting Indian regional cinema’s rich tapestry. By introducing programmes focused on emerging filmmakers and digital storytelling, IFFI is nurturing platforms that champion new talent and celebrate the evolution of filmmaking in the digital age,” information and broadcasting minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a statement.
The opening film of IFFI 2025 is Brazilian auteur Gabriel Mascaro’s The Blue Trail, a sci-fi and fantasy feature following a 75-year-old woman’s defiant voyage through the Amazon. The film, a quiet manifesto on freedom and dignity, won the Silver Bear – Grand Jury Prize at the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival. The Gala Premieres segment will feature 18 titles, including 13 world premieres, two Asia premieres, one India premiere, and two special showcase screenings.
The jury for international competition is headed by filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. The festival’s nine curated sections include Docu-Montage, From the Festivals, Rising Stars, Mission Life, Experimental Films, Restored Classics, Macabre Dreams, UNICEF and Cinema of the World. The film gala will feature an extensive slate of 21 masterclasses and panel discussions across 10 formats at Kala Academy, bringing together some of the most prominent names in Indian and international cinema.
Experts include Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Anupam Kher, Aamir Khan, Bobby Deol, Ravi Varman, Kushboo Sundar, Suhasini Maniratnam, Christopher Charles Corbould OBE, Pete Draper and Sreekar Prasad. Sessions will cover topics such as editing and acting in the digital era, theatre and sustainability, as well as AI and VFX technologies.
IFFI 2025 will celebrate centenaries of cinematic legends Guru Dutt, Raj Khosla, Ritwik Ghatak, P Bhanumathi, Bhupen Hazarika and Salil Chowdhury by showcasing restored classics of their work. The Indian Panorama section will feature 25 feature films, 20 non-feature films and 5 debut features.
Tamil film Amaran, directed by Rajkumar Periyasamy and starring Sivakarthikeyan and Sai Pallavi, will open the feature category, while Kakori will open the non-feature section. The feature film jury is headed by actor Raja Bundela, while Dharam Gulati leads the jury for non-feature category.
‘Bindusagar’ premiere
Bindusagar, one of the most awaited Odia films in recent years, has been selected for its World Premiere. Produced by Shiladitya Bora’s Platoon One Films, the film will debut as part of the prestigious Gala Presentation at IFFI 2025, taking Odia cinema to huge heights.
The Women in Cinema and Emerging Voices segments will spotlight inclusivity and new perspectives, featuring over 50 films directed by women and an equal number by debut filmmakers. Besides, the event will also 125 years of V Shantaram through a special screening of the director’s acclaimed 1946 movie Dr. Kotnis Ki Amar Kahani.
The organisers are also launching AI Film Festival and Cinema AI Hackathon, which will present AI-generated films across fiction, documentary, animation, and experimental genres. The 48-hour Cinema AI Hackathon will challenge developers and storytellers to design innovative AI-powered cinematic tools.
Published – November 07, 2025 08:17 pm IST
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IFFI 2025: Superstar Rajinikanth to be honoured for completing 50 years in industry
