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The 17th edition of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) has unveiled its nominations, recognising some of the most acclaimed films, performances and filmmakers from across Indian cinema.

This year's festival will be held from August 13 to August 23, 2026, with the support of the Victorian Government. Along with its awards ceremony, the event will feature premieres, special screenings, masterclasses, panel discussions, industry interactions and cultural programmes.

Strong competition in the Best Film category

The race for the Best Film award features productions from multiple languages and genres. The nominated films are Haq, Jarann, Kantara: A Legend - Chapter 1 , Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, Saiyaara, Sitaare Zameen Par, Sharthopor and The Great Shamsuddin Family. 'Kantara: A Legend - Chapter 1' has emerged as one of the notable contenders following its successful theatrical run. The Best Director category is equally competitive. The nominees include Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Chandrasish Ray, Mohit Suri, Ramalingam Gowtham, Rima Das, Rishab Shetty, R.S. Prasanna and Shazia Iqbal .

Aamir Khan, Mammootty and Rishab Shetty among Best Actor nominees

The Best Performance (Male) category features several of Indian cinema's biggest names. The nominees are Aamir Khan, Ahaan Panday, Bhuman Bhargav Das, Dulquer Salmaan, Mammootty, Ranveer Singh , Rishab Shetty and Sanjay Mishra. Meanwhile, the Best Performance (Female) nominees include Aneet Padda, Kalyani Priyadarshan, Kirti Kulhari, Neena Gupta, Rajshri Deshpande, Rani Mukerji, Rituparna Sengupta and Yami Gautam Dhar. For Rishab Shetty, this year's nominations are especially significant as he has earned recognition both as a filmmaker and as an actor.

Streaming and television categories feature popular titles

The festival has also recognised outstanding work in the streaming space. The Best Performance in a Series category includes Ambrish Verma, Arif Zakaria, Barun Sobti, Kunal Kemmu, Paramvir Singh Cheema, Manav Kaul, Manoj Pahwa, Vijay Varma, Anandhi, Huma Qureshi, Lakshmi Priyaa Chandramouli, Mona Singh, Rasika Dugal , Seema Pahwa, Shefali Shah and Swastika Mukherjee. The nominees for Best Series are '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: Season 2'.

The winners across all categories will be decided by an independent jury comprising respected personalities from Australia's film industry and cultural sector. The awards will be presented during the festival's closing ceremony later in August as reported by IANS.