‘Sitaare Zameen Par’, ‘Kantara: Chapter 1’, ‘Kohrra 2’ Lead IFFM 2026 Awards Nominations

The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2026 has announced its nominations, with Aamir Khan’s “Sitaare Zameen Par” , Rishab Shetty’s “Kantara: A Legend - Chapter 1” , Mohit Suri’s “Saiyaara” , and acclaimed web series “Kohrra: Season 2” emerging as major contenders across multiple categories.

Recognised as the largest celebration of Indian cinema outside India , the 17th edition of IFFM will be held in Melbourne from August 13 to 23 , supported by the Victorian Government. The awards honour excellence in Indian storytelling across films and streaming platforms in multiple languages and genres.

In the Best Film category, nominees include “Sitaare Zameen Par” , “Kantara: A Legend - Chapter 1” , “Saiyaara” , “Haq” , Malayalam superhero film “Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra” , Marathi film “Jarann” , Bengali movie “Sharthopor” , and direct-to-digital release “The Great Shamsuddin Family.”

The Best Director race features Mohit Suri , Rishab Shetty , R.S. Prasanna , Shazia Iqbal , Rima Das , Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari , and Ramalingam Gowtham .

In the acting categories, Aamir Khan , Rishab Shetty , Ranveer Singh , Mammootty , Dulquer Salmaan , and Sanjay Mishra are nominated for Best Performance (Male) . The Best Performance (Female) nominees include Rani Mukerji , Yami Gautam Dhar , Neena Gupta , Kirti Kulhari , Aneet Padda , Rajshri Deshpande , Kalyani Priyadarshan , and Rituparna Sengupta .

The festival also celebrates independent cinema, with films such as “Full Plate” , “Not a Hero” , “Mayilaa” , “Members of the Problematic Family” , and “Kikkran De Phull” competing in the Best Indie Film category.

On the streaming front, “Kohrra: Season 2” received three nominations, including Best Series , Best Actor (Series) for Barun Sobti , and Best Actress (Series) for Mona Singh . Other strong contenders include “Matka King” , “Freedom at Midnight: Season 2” , “Ba ds of Bollywood”, “Sapne Vs Everyone” , “Perfect Family” , and “Real Kashmir Football Club.”*

The festival will also honour outstanding documentaries and films from across the Indian subcontinent. Winners will be selected by a distinguished jury from Australia’s film and cultural sectors. Alongside the awards, IFFM 2026 will feature premieres, special screenings, panel discussions, masterclasses, industry events, and cultural celebrations.