{"id":182333,"date":"2026-03-13T04:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/?p=182333"},"modified":"2026-03-11T15:45:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T04:45:40","slug":"celebrating-indian-cinema-in-geelong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/living\/celebrating-indian-cinema-in-geelong\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating Indian cinema in Geelong"},"content":{"rendered":"

EXPERIENCE the colour, energy and storytelling power of Indian cinema as the Geelong Waterfront Film Foundation brings the National Indian Film Festival of Australia (NIFFA) to Geelong for the very first time.<\/p>\n

From 18\u201322 March, enjoy acclaimed feature films and special screenings at Reading Cinemas in Waurn Ponds, showcasing stories from regional and independent voices to mainstream favourites.<\/p>\n

Films span languages including Hindi, Tamil, Bengali and Malayalam, all with English subtitles, alongside family friendly Indian-Australian features. There are films that will make you laugh, cry and cheer.<\/p>\n

NIFFA features more than 35 films across 18 languages, many making their Australian or world premieres, giving audiences a rare chance to see them on the big screen for the first time.<\/p>\n

Boong, the first Indian film to win a British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA), will be shown on the opening night. A coming-of-age drama film written and directed by Lakshmipriya Devi, it is sure to appeal to everyone.<\/p>\n

Festival highlights include panel discussions exploring the potential of Indian film and media links with Victoria and Australia, particularly given Geelong and surrounding areas have hosted Bollywood productions dating back to 1998.<\/p>\n

An industry discussion led by NIFFA founder and award-winning filmmaker Anupam Sharma will also explore opportunities for co-production, investment and global collaboration.<\/p>\n

Everyone is welcome to attend this vibrant festival, celebrating cultural exchange and Geelong’s growing screen industry.<\/p>\n

\"\"
The National Indian Film Festival of Australia (NIFFA) will come to Geelong for the first time between 18\u201322 March, with screenings at Reading Cinemas in Waurn Ponds.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

 <\/p>\n

The event forms part of the Geelong Waterfront Film Foundation’s REEL Film Festival.<\/p>\n

“We’re delighted to welcome NIFFA to Geelong for the very first time,” Geelong Waterfront Film Foundation executive director, Belinda Lyle, said.<\/p>\n

“The festival will celebrate our region’s vibrant and growing Indian community. It also strengthens our vision to grow Geelong as a thriving hub for filmmaking and screen culture.<\/p>\n

“This partnership is a powerful step toward building industry opportunities and global connections.”<\/p>\n

NIFFA is the brainchild of Australia’s most well-known Indian origin filmmaker, Anupam Sharma, whose film Brand Bollywood Downunder is on Netflix and deals with Australia Indai film links over the last 89 years.<\/p>\n

“I have the fondest memories of Geelong and regional Victoria ever since I brought the first Bollywood film here back in 1998,” Sharma said.<\/p>\n

“Since then, it has been an honour to be part of a team that has brought maximum productions and investment from [the] Indian film industry to regional and metro Victoria.<\/p>\n

“Thanks to the support of Waterfront Film Foundation, the mayor of Geelong, and the Geelong city council, we will kickstart our ambitious national program for 2026 with Geelong.”<\/p>\n

For more information, head to geelongwaterfrontfilm.com.au\/NIFFA-Geelong<\/a><\/p>\n

\/\/SPONSORED CONTENT<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

EXPERIENCE the colour, energy and storytelling power of Indian cinema as the Geelong Waterfront Film Foundation brings the National Indian Film Festival of Australia (NIFFA) to Geelong for the very first time. From 18\u201322 March, enjoy acclaimed feature films and special screenings at Reading Cinemas in Waurn Ponds, showcasing stories from regional and independent voices […]<\/p>\n

Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":156,"featured_media":182355,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"post_folder":[],"class_list":["post-182333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-living"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nCelebrating Indian cinema in Geelong - Surf Coast Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Indian Film Festival Geelong arrives 18\u201322 March with 35+ films, premieres and panels celebrating Indian cinema at Reading Cinemas Waurn Ponds.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/timesnewsgroup.com.au\/surfcoasttimes\/living\/celebrating-indian-cinema-in-geelong\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Celebrating Indian cinema in Geelong - 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