Ranbir Kapoor's Ramayana will be the opening film for the BRICS segment of the 57th International Film Festival of India (IFFI). Set to be held in Goa from November 20 to 28, the festival will showcase over 150 international films from 86 countries.
This year, the theme of IFFI 2026 is Stories Without Borders, highlighting how cinema can connect audiences across geographical, linguistic and cultural boundaries.
Filmmakers and cinema enthusiasts from around the world will attend the festival. IFFI 2026 received more than 1,900 film submissions from 137 countries. A total of 76 films will be showcased under the Indian Cinema section in 18 different languages.
Ramayana At IFFI 2026
This edition of the festival will put special focus on BRICS cinema, showcasing movies from all 11 member countries. Ramayana will be the opening film of the BRICS segment. Starring Yash, Ranbir Kapoor and Sai Pallavi in the lead roles, the movie offers a look at the legend of Lord Ram and his 14-year-long exile into the forest. This is the film festival the movie will be screened in post its release.
Fatherland, directed by Paweł Pawlikowski, will open IFFI 2026. The movie follows Nobel laureate Thomas Mann and his daughter Erika as they travel through post-war, divided Germany in 1949. Fatherland received the Best Director Award at the 2026 Cannes Film Festival. We Are All Strangers, directed by Singaporean filmmaker Anthony Chen, will serve as the closing film.
Dhurandhar, Becoming To Open Panorama Section
The Indian Panorama section will open with the Ranveer Singh-starrer Dhurandhar and Becoming, a Ladakhi-language non-feature film. The selection reflects IFFI's celebration of India's diverse storytelling traditions.
New Segments At IFFI 2026
The film festival has introduced two new segments this year to celebrate different forms of storytelling. The first segment, Animation, will have five outstanding films that showcase creativity and innovation in animated cinema. Films About Films, the second segment, will also present five movies with the purpose of highlighting the art and craft of filmmaking.
This year, Spain is the Country of Honour. Four Spanish films will be shown - The Bad Son, directed by Jaime Lorente, Trinidad, Pedro Almodóvar's Bitter Christmas and Jaime Machia's Persegiuiendo a Michael.
IFFI 2026 will also feature seven films in the Best Debut Feature Films Competition. The competition includes The Sledge from India, Paris from Belgium, Fading Man from Germany, The Black Sea from Egypt, L'Âge d'Or (The Golden Age) from France and Italy, Birds on Ice from India, and Atlantic from China.
Also Read: Rs 4000-Crore Ramayana's Biggest Advantage? It Came After Adipurush
