Dulquer Salmaan and Rishab Shetty headline the opening ceremony of IFFM 2026 in Melbourne.

The 17th edition of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) officially opened on August 13 with a star-studded press conference celebrating the diversity and growing global presence of Indian cinema. The opening event brought together leading actors, filmmakers, singers and other artistes from across the Indian film industry. Rishab Shetty, Dulquer Salmaan and Vijay Varma were among the prominent attendees. The event also featured Manushi Chhillar, singer Nikhita Gandhi and Dolly Singh.

Several filmmakers, including Nikkhil Advani, Vikram Phadnis, R. Gowtham, Kaizad Gustad and RS Prasanna, also attended the press conference along with members of the cast of Lala and Poppy. Their presence reflected IFFM’s commitment to bringing together talent from different regional industries and creative fields.

Rishab Shetty spoke about the growing international recognition of Indian cinema and the importance of platforms such as IFFM in introducing regional stories to audiences worldwide. Representing Kannada cinema, he expressed pride in seeing the industry receive greater recognition on the global stage.

Dulquer Salmaan, who is visiting Australia for the first time, said he was pleased to begin his trip by attending IFFM. He discussed his film Lokah, which combines elements of Kerala folklore with a superhero narrative, and expressed happiness over the film’s international journey. The opening press conference set the tone for the 17th edition of IFFM, which continues to provide an international platform for Indian filmmakers and artistes while highlighting the country’s rich cinematic diversity and expanding global reach.