Russia named partner country of 57th International Film Festival of India — organizers

Detailed summary

The festival program includes 159 international films from 86 countries, as well as 76 Indian films

NEW DELHI, November 13. /TASS/. Russia will be the partner country of the 57th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, India, which will run from November 20 to 28, the organizers announced at a press conference.

"Our partner country is Russia," said Dhiraj Singh, managing director of the National Film Development Corporation of India, adding that four Russian films had been confirmed for the festival so far. "But there will actually be more," he added.

The screenings in Goa will feature Nikita Grushin’s social drama "New Home" (2026), Raul Geydarov’s drama "Sidney Lumet’s Birthday" (2025), Anastasia Kuzina’s drama "Bo-Bo" (2026), and Herbert Rappaport’s musical "Cheryomushki" (1962).

The festival program includes 159 international films from 86 countries, as well as 76 Indian films. The opening film will be "Fatherland" (2026) by Polish director Pawel Pawlikowski. The festival will close with Singaporean director Anthony Chen’s "We Are All Strangers" (2026). Fifteen films will compete in the international competition, while seven will vie for the Best Debut Feature Film award and 10 will compete for the ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal.

Special attention at the festival will be given to the cinema of BRICS countries. Films from all 11 member states, as well as works from partner countries, will be screened in Goa.

According to festival director and filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker, IFFI will be held under the slogan "Stories Beyond Boundaries," as cinema can bring people closer together by allowing them to transcend familiar languages and cultures. "We live in an era when we are more connected than ever before, and yet it is often easier for us to remain within our own small circles, our own languages, our own screens and our own points of view," he said, adding that boundaries are not only geographical but can also exist in people’s habits and worldviews.

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