IFFM 2026 nominations out: Aamir, Mammootty lead the pack
What's the story
The 17th Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) has announced its nominations for the IFFM Awards 2026. The festival celebrates excellence in Indian cinema and streaming content from the past year. Notable contenders for Best Actor include Aamir Khan, Mammootty, Ahaan Panday, and Ranveer Singh, among others.
Festival highlights
Highlights of IFFM 2026
The 17th IFFM will run from August 13-23, supported by the Victorian Government. The festival will feature an array of film premieres, special screenings, panel discussions, masterclasses, industry events, and cultural celebrations. It will culminate in an awards ceremony that promises to be a grand celebration of Indian cinema on the global stage.
Film nominations
Best Film nominations
The films vying for the top honors at IFFM 2026 include Haq, Jarann, Kantara: A Legend - Chapter 1, Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, Saiyaara, Sitaare Zameen Par, Sharthopor, and The Great Shamsuddin Family. These films have been recognized for their outstanding contributions to Indian cinema in the past year.
Director and performance nominations
Best Director, Best Performance (Male), (Female) in Feature Film
The Best Director category at IFFM 2026 features Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Chandrasish Ray, Mohit Suri, Ramalingam Gowtham, Rima Das, Rishab Shetty, R.S. Prasanna, and Shazia Iqbal. Meanwhile, the Best Performance (Male) nominations include Khan, Panday, Bhuman Bhargav Das, Dulquer Salmaan, Mammootty, Singh, Rishab Shetty, and Sanjay Mishra. The Best Performance (Female) category features Aneet Padda, Kirti Kulhari, Neena Gupta, Rajshri Deshpande, Rani Mukerji, Rituparna Sengupta, Yami Gautam Dhar, and Kalyani Priyadarshan.
Series nominations
Best Performance in Series; Best Series
It features a category for Best Performance (Male) and (Female) in Series. They are Ambrish Verma, Arif Zakaria, Barun Sobti, Kunal Kemmu, Paramvir Singh, Cheema Manav Kaul, Manoj Pahwa, Vijay Varma, Anandhi, and Huma Qureshi. Also, Lakshmi Priyaa Chandramouli, Mona Singh, Rasika Dugal, Seema Pahwa, Shefali Shah, and Swastika Mukherjee. The Best Series nominations include Baai Tujhyapayi Kohrra: Season 2, Matka King, Real Kashmir, Football Club, Sapne Vs Everyone, The Ba***ds of Bollywood, Perfect Family, and Freedom at Midnight 2.