: Mumbai, 8^th November 2025

The 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) announces the line-up for its highly anticipated International Competition, featuring 15 outstanding feature films—12 international and 3 Indian—that represent the finest in contemporary world cinema.

The Golden Peacock, one of the most distinguished honours in global cinema, will be awarded by an eminent international jury chaired by acclaimed Indian filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, joined by Graeme Clifford, Editor and Director (Australia), Katharina Schüttler, Actor (Germany), Chandran Rutnam, Film Maker (Sri Lanka), and Remi Adefarasin, Cinematographer (England).

The winner of the Golden Peacock will receive a cash prize of ₹40 lakh. In addition, the Jury will confer awards in the categories of Best Director, Best Actor (Male), Best Actor (Female), and the Special Jury Prize, taking the total award money to ₹90 lakh.

This year’s International Competition promises a vibrant celebration of cinematic excellence with an exceptional selection of films from across the globe:

1. Amrum

Directed by Fatih Akin. Premiered at the Cannes Film Festival 2025.

Co-written by veteran German filmmaker Hark Bohm, Amrum is a German-Turkish historical drama and coming-of-age story set on the North Sea island of Amrum in the final days of WWII. The film follows 12-year-old Nanning as he experiences the lingering aftermath of war through the loss of identity, the disillusionment of a crumbling ideology, and the fragile tension between innocence and harsh reality.

2. A Poet (Un Poeta)

Directed by Simón Mesa Soto

A tragicomedy that premiered at Cannes 2025, winning the Jury Prize in Un Certain Regard and selected as Colombia’s entry for the 98th Academy Awards. The film tells the story of aging poet Oscar Restrepo and his mentorship of a talented young girl, Yurlady, in his desperate attempt to reclaim lost glory—an absurdist fable about the trials of artistic pursuit.

3. C'est Si Bon (Moi qui t’aimais)

Directed by Diane Kurys

The celebrated French filmmaker returns with a heartfelt romance chronicling the final years of the love story between Simone Signoret and Yves Montand. Premiered at Cannes 2025, the film delves into their shared political convictions, enduring love, and the challenges that test their relationship.

4. Little Trouble Girls (Kaj ti je deklica)

Directed by Urška Djukić

This Slovenian debut feature premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival 2025, competing for the Teddy Award and Best Feature Film Award. It is Slovenia’s entry for the 98th Academy Awards. A coming-of-age film about an all-girl choir’s retreat, where 16-year-old Lucija experiences profound awakenings.

5. Mosquitoes (Le bambine)

Directed by Valentina and Nicole Bertani

Premiered at the Locarno Film Festival 2025 and nominated for the Golden Leopard. This offbeat coming-of-age comedy-drama, set in 1990s Italy, follows three girls growing up too fast—united in a bond to protect each other, their youth, and their freedom.

6. Mothers Baby

Directed by Johanna Moder

A tense Austrian psychological thriller that premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival 2025. It follows Julia, a 40-year-old woman whose dream of motherhood turns into a nightmare as she fails to bond with her newborn. The film blends paranoia, social critique, and psychological depth to explore the complexities of modern motherhood.

7. My Father’s Shadow

Directed by Akinola Davies Jr.

The first Nigerian film ever selected for Cannes’ official selection, winner of the Special Mention: Caméra d’Or, Cannes 2025. This autobiographical drama follows a father and his estranged sons navigating Lagos amid the political unrest of the 1993 Nigerian elections.

8. Renoir (Runowâru)

Directed by Chi Hayakawa

The acclaimed Japanese filmmaker of Plan 75 returns with a poetic coming-of-age drama set in suburban Tokyo, 1987. Eleven-year-old Fuki, coping with her father’s terminal illness and her mother’s struggles, retreats into a fantasy world of telepathy. Renoir is an impressionistic, visually entrancing exploration of imagination and healing.

9. Sham (Detchiage: Satsujin Kyoshi to Yobareta Otoko)

Directed by Takashi Miike

From the Japanese auteur comes a thought-provoking court drama inspired by Masumi Fukuda’s Fabrication. Premiered at Tribeca 2025 and Melbourne International Film Festival, Sham examines morality, truth, and perception through the story of a teacher accused of driving a student to suicide.

10. Skin of Youth (Ồn ào tuổi trẻ)

Directed by Ash Mayfair

Winner of the Special Jury Award at the New York Asian Film Festival 2025. This Vietnamese drama follows the precarious lives of San and Nam, and their struggle for love and identity in 1990s Saigon. A turbulent romance exploring the boundaries of humanity and freedom.

11. Songs of Adam

Directed by Oday Rasheed

Premiered at the Red Sea International Film Festival 2024. Set in 1946 Mesopotamia, this poetic drama follows a boy who stops aging after witnessing his grandfather’s death—an allegory for innocence, stagnation, and a nation’s turbulent history.

12. The Visual Feminist Manifesto

Directed by Farida Baqi

A scintillating debut feature that premiered at the International Film Festival of Rotterdam 2025, winning the Youth Jury Award. The film traces a young woman’s journey from birth to adulthood in an unnamed Arab city, exploring desire, freedom, and the defiance of patriarchy.

13. Amaran (The Immortal)

Directed by Rajkumar Periasamy

A Tamil biographical war-action drama based on India's Most Fearless: True Stories of Modern Military Heroes by Shiv Aroor and Rahul Singh. Set against the 2014 Qazipathri Operation, the film follows the valor and sacrifice of Major Mukund Varadarajan.

14. Sarkeet (A Short Trip)

Directed by Thalava KV

The Malayalam filmmaker’s intimate family drama follows Balu and Stephy, parents struggling abroad with their ADHD-diagnosed son. When Ameer, a job seeker, enters their lives, a quiet connection reveals how fragile lives can shift in unexpected ways.

15. Gondhal (Maharashtrian Ritual)

Directed by Santosh Davakhar

From the National Award-winning filmmaker of Adnyt comes a haunting drama set during the ritual of Gondhal in rural Maharashtra. Trapped in a loveless marriage, Suman plans an escape with her forbidden lover, the Gondhali performer Saheba. Over one fevered night, faith, betrayal, and divine judgment intertwine in a tale of passion and consequence.

With its eclectic mix of genres, voices, and nations, the International Competition at IFFI 2025 stands as a powerful platform showcasing global cinematic excellence—honouring creativity, vision, and storytelling that transcend borders.

 

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Edgar Coelho/Parshuram Ko

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