Indian Festival of Perth to Debut in November 2026

Western Australia is set to host its first Indian Festival of Perth, a four-day cinematic event scheduled for November 12 to November 15, 2026. The festival will feature more than 30 films spanning various Indian and South Asian languages, marking a significant expansion of the cultural footprint established by existing festivals in Melbourne and Sydney.

The Perth edition represents the third major Australian city to host a dedicated Indian film festival, following the successful models of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) and the Indian Film Festival of Sydney (IFFS). The initiative is led by Mitu Bhowmick Lange, the director behind the established Melbourne and Sydney events. Organizers intend for the festival to serve as a platform for cross-cultural exchange, aiming to foster connections between filmmakers, local audiences, and the broader creative community in Western Australia.

The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne reports an audience attendance of 31,423 and is established as the largest annual celebration of Indian cinema outside of India. This attendance significantly exceeds other major international Indian film festivals, such as the New York Indian Film Festival.

Festival organizers and Western Australian leadership are targeting cross-border co-productions and screen partnerships leveraging local facilities including the Perth Film Studio. The festival is designed to foster connections, conversations, and creative collaborations between filmmakers, audiences, and the wider creative community across India and Western Australia.

Western Australian Premier Roger Cook formally announced the festival during a recent visit to India. In his keynote address, the Premier emphasized that the event is designed to strengthen creative and cultural ties between the two regions. As part of the inaugural programming, the festival will host a select group of Indian filmmakers who are scheduled to visit the Perth Film Studio and engage with the local industry. The event is expected to open new avenues for collaboration between Indian production houses and the Western Australian creative sector, further integrating Indian storytelling into the Australian cultural landscape.