For more than seven decades, the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) has carried the spirit of a nation that believes cinema is not just art but a bridge between cultures. As India prepares for the 56th edition of IFFI in Goa, the festival feels larger, more connected, and more purposeful than ever before. This year’s edition reflects India’s growing confidence on the global cinematic map and its belief that creativity becomes stronger when nations collaborate. In this context, the sentiment repeatedly emphasised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at cultural forums becomes relevant, that festivals like these mirror India’s vision of bringing the world together through shared artistic expression.
IFFI, which began in 1952 as a travelling festival across Mumbai, Delhi, Madras, and Calcutta, was built to introduce Indian audiences to world cinema at a time when the country was still shaping its identity. Over the decades, it grew into South Asia’s only FIAPF-accredited competitive festival and eventually found its permanent home in Goa in 2004. Back then, India’s film industry was expanding rapidly, yet had limited pathways for global exposure, co-production, and international conversations. IFFI played the role of a gate-opener, allowing Indian cinema to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with world cinema while giving foreign filmmakers a window into India’s creative energy.
This year, IFFI 2025 marks another leap forward. With 240 films from 81 countries, the festival has become a global meeting point where cultures naturally merge. Japan joins as the Country of Focus, Spain as the Partner Country, and Australia as the Spotlight Country, creating an environment where collaboration becomes effortless. From world premieres to restored classics and special tributes to legends like Guru Dutt, Ritwik Ghatak, and Bhupen Hazarika, the festival celebrates everything from heritage to experimentation. The addition of IFFIESTA brings a new cultural layer to Goa, turning the festival into a space where cinema, music, performance, and youth culture blend seamlessly.
The transformation of Film Bazaar into WAVES Film Bazaar reflects how the Indian film ecosystem itself has evolved. Earlier, filmmakers struggled to find producers, distributors, and festival mentors. Today, the Bazaar has become one of Asia’s strongest creative markets, with co-production projects, viewing rooms, work-in-progress labs, and international industry delegations. It is here that new directors find support, scripts find buyers, and technology partners discover emerging voices. Add to this the first-ever CinemAI Hackathon, where teams will create short films entirely through AI tools, and IFFI 2025 becomes a festival that not only honours the past but also embraces the future of storytelling.
Inside India, the festival’s impact reaches far beyond cinema halls. The Indian Panorama platform continues to introduce powerful regional stories to national audiences. Women-led films and debut directors receive strong representation, ensuring that fresh voices do not get overshadowed by established names. Masterclasses by filmmakers, technicians, and international experts help young professionals understand how the global film industry works. For Goa, the festival brings tourism, jobs, and international visibility every year, turning the state into a lively creative hub every November.
Looking ahead, the benefits of IFFI’s growing scale are significant. A stronger festival helps Indian stories travel further, leading to more global collaborations, co-productions, and recognition at top world festivals. The focus on AVGC-XR technology, powered by global industry partnerships, lays the foundation for India to become a leader in animation, gaming, and immersive storytelling. As the WAVES initiative creates new incubation centres and training programs, future filmmakers will find better infrastructure, better mentorship, and better global networks than ever before.
As Goa prepares to host IFFI 2025, the festival stands as a living memory of how far Indian cinema has come and a reminder of how much more it can achieve. From its roots in 1952 to this year’s international partnerships, market expansions, and innovative platforms, IFFI continues to grow in meaning and magnitude. It is not just a film festival, it is a cultural journey, a creative promise, and a space where India and the world meet to share stories that move, challenge, and inspire.