The 57th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) will be held in Goa from November 20 to 28, 2026, under the theme 'Stories Without Borders', organisers announced at a curtain-raiser press conference in Goa on Friday, November 13, news agency ANI reported. The festival will showcase 159 films from 86 countries, selected from approximately 1,400 submissions.

Polish filmmaker Pawel Pawlikowski's 'Fatherland' will be the opening film of the festival. Alina Serban's 'I Matter' takes the mid-festival slot, while Anthony Chen's 'We Are All Strangers' will close the festival, according to the programme unveiled at the curtain-raiser. Screenings will extend across Panaji, Porvorim, Margao and Ponda.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant told the curtain-raiser that the state is ready to welcome filmmakers and cinema lovers from around the world, and outlined preparations for venues, transport, hospitality and public facilities. Festival Director Ashutosh Gowariker said the theme was not merely a slogan but a guiding principle for the festival's selections and screenings, reflecting cinema's ability to connect audiences across geographical, linguistic and cultural boundaries.

The five-member jury for the International Competition will be chaired by Indian filmmaker Aanand L. Rai. Madhur Bhandarkar chairs the feature film jury and Himanshu Shekhar Khatua heads the non-feature film jury. Nitesh Tiwari's 'Ramayana: Rise of a Legend' will open the festival's BRICS showcase, and Aditya Dhar's 'Dhurandhar' will open the Indian Panorama.

IFFI, launched in 1952 and among Asia's oldest film festivals, is organised by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting with the Government of Goa and the Entertainment Society of Goa. Sources: ANI (via Daily Prabhat); Digital Goa; Indian Television.