From stories of divided Germany to contemporary Singapore, Goa will offer audiences a journey across world cinema as the 57th International Film Festival of India screens 159 international films from 86 countries between November 20 and 28. The nine-day festival, themed ‘Stories Without Borders’, will extend across Panaji, Porvorim, Margao and Ponda.
Paweł Pawlikowski’s *Fatherland*, tracing Nobel laureate Thomas Mann and his daughter Erika’s journey through post-war Germany, will raise the curtain. Alina Șerban’s *I Matter* takes the mid-fest slot, while Anthony Chen’s *We Are All Strangers* will bring the festival to a close.
The programme was unveiled at a curtain-raiser in Goa today, where Chief Minister Pramod Sawant outlined preparations for venues, transport, hospitality and public facilities. Festival Director Ashutosh Gowariker said the theme reflects cinema’s ability to connect audiences across geographical, linguistic and cultural boundaries.
Spain takes the spotlight as Country of Honour, while Russia joins as Partner Country, with four films from each country. A dedicated BRICS section will open with India’s *Ramayana*, bringing together films from all 11 member nations and contributions from partner countries.
Closer home, the Indian Cinema section will bring 76 films in 18 languages to the screen. Hindi feature *Dhurandhar* and Ladakhi non-feature *Becoming* will open the Indian Panorama, placing two distinct storytelling traditions at the start of the programme.
Animation and the craft of filmmaking will receive dedicated space through two new sections—Animation and Films About Films—with five films each. Seven films will compete for Best Debut Feature Film, while the wider festival programme includes works by 52 women filmmakers and 62 debut filmmakers.
Audiences will have access to 13 indoor screens with over 4,000 seats across the four cities. Venues include INOX, Maquinez, Samrat and Ashoka in Panaji, INOX Porvorim, Ravindra Bhavan in Margao and Magic Movie in Ponda.
Beyond the screenings, Kala Academy will host 14 sessions from November 21 to 27, covering filmmaking, casting, subtitling, documentary cinema and women shaping world cinema. The Creative Minds of Tomorrow programme will bring 100 participants across 13 filmmaking crafts into workshops, mentoring sessions and a 48-hour filmmaking challenge.
WAVES Film Bazaar will connect filmmakers with producers, buyers and distributors, with Netflix joining as Knowledge Series partner. Restored classics, a five-film tribute to Andrzej Wajda and centenary celebrations of Indian cinema personalities will also form part of the festival.
