New York, NY : The New York Indian Film Festival (NYIFF), North America’s longest-running festival dedicated to Indian independent cinema, has announced the full lineup and official nominations for its 2026 edition, spotlighting a diverse slate of films across 15 languages and underscoring the growing dominance of regional storytelling in contemporary Indian cinema.

This year’s nominations are led by Baksho Bondi (Shadowbox), Flowers of Acacia, Romantic Affairs, Ha Lyngkha Bneng (The Elysian Field), and Victoria, which dominate the Best Film race – highlighting a strong showing from regional cinema across Bengali, Punjabi, Assamese, Khasi, and Malayalam industries.

The festival will present Farhan Akhtar’s classic Dil Chahta Hai (2001), marking the film’s 25th anniversary and revisiting one of Hindi cinema’s most influential coming-of-age films. This year’s program includes 19 narrative (features), four documentaries (features) and 27 shorts (narratives and documentaries) including several world premieres, and a special LGBTQ shorts program.

Previously announced highlights include the 4K restored version of the cult classic Sholay; BAFTA winner opening film Boong (Manipuri); Tighee (Marathi) as the closing film; and the centerpiece Flowers of Acacia (Punjabi). Presented by the Indo-American Arts Council (IAAC), NYIFF 2026 continues its dual mission of championing emerging voices while honoring cinematic excellence, reinforcing its position as a key global platform for Indian Independent Cinema.

“This year’s nominated films represent the range and depth of storytelling in India today,” said Festival Director Aseem Chhabra. “From human dramas to comedies, and narratives that reflect the angst of Millennials and Gen Z, these works reflect a cinema that is both rooted and globally resonant.”

Suman Gollamudi, Executive Director of IAAC, added: “NYIFF continues to serve as a critical launchpadfor independent filmmakers on the global stage and remains committed to amplifying distinctive voices across Indian cinema.” Dr. Nirmal Mattoo, Chairman of IAAC, said:

“The New York Indian Film Festival stands as a powerful
cultural bridge. The 2026 lineup and nominations reaffirm our commitment to showcasing the richness, diversity, and artistic excellence of Indian cinema on an international stage.”

2026 AWARD NOMINATIONS
Best Film
 Baksho Bondi (Shadowbox)
 Flowers of Acacia
 Romantic Affairs
 Ha Lyngkha Bneng (The Elysian Field)
 Victoria
Best Debut Film
 Aakuti (Longing)
 Batt Koch
 Baksho Bondi (Shadowbox)
 Boong
 Early Days
 How to Not Have Sex
 Tighee (Motherhood)
 Victoria
 Vimukt (In Search of the Sky)
Best Director
 Lakshmipriya Devi (Boong)
 Senna Hegde (Avihitham)
 Ranjan Ghosh (Adamya)
 Anmol Sidhu (Flowers of Acacia)
 Pradip Kurbah (The Elysian Field)
Best Screenplay
 Anshulika Dubey (How To Not Have Sex)
 Anusha Rizvi (The Great Shamsuddin Family)
 Nikhil Mahajan & Prajakt Deshmukh (Tighee)
 Priyankar Patra (Early Days)
 Tannishtha Chatterjee (Full Plate)
Best Actor
 Aryuun Ghosh (Adamya)
 Chandan Bisht (Baksho Bondi)
 M.K. Raina (Batt Koch)
 Nikhil Yadav (Vimukt)
 Sanat Chattopadhyay (Maya Satya Bhram)
Best Actress
 Bharti Achrekar (Tighee)
 Kasvi Sonkorison (Romantic Affairs)
 Meenakshi Jayan (Victoria)
 Revathy Asha (Aasmani)
 Tillotama Shome (Baksho Bondi)
Best Child Actor
 Daria Bedi (Aasmani)
 Gugun Kipgen (Boong)
 Kavisha Mahanta (Aakuti)
 Sayan Karmakar (Baksho Bondi)
Best Documentary (Feature)
 Breaking the Code
 Déjà Vu
 Marriage Cops
 I, Poppy
Best Short (Narrative)
 Aasmani
 Aashirwad (Blessings)
 Tumhari Bari Jo! (Jo’s Turn)
 Razaa
 Room at the Farm
Best Documentary (Short)
 Ruptured Lines
 The Last Resort
 This Tree Won’t Fall
 Waai
Full Lineup: NYIFF 2026
Feature Narratives
Aakuti (Longing) (Assamese) – Snigdha Roy
Adamya (Bengali) – Ranjan Ghosh
Avihitham (An Illicit Affair) (Malayalam) – Senna Hegde
Batt Koch (The Lost Lane) (Kashmiri) – Siddharth Koul, Ankit Wali
Baksho Bondi (Shadowbox) (Bengali) – Tanushree Das, Saumyananda Sahi
Boong (Manipuri) – Lakshmipriya Devi
Dil Chahta Hai (Hindi) – Farhan Akhtar
Early Days (Hindi/English) – Priyankar Patra
Flowers of Acacia (Punjabi) – Anmol Sidhu
Full Plate (Hindi) – Tannishtha Chatterjee
Ha Lyngkha Bneng (The Elysian Field) (Khasi) – Pradip Kurbah
How To Not Have Sex (Hindi) – Sudharshan Narayanan
Maya Satya Bhram (Bengali) – Samik Roy Choudhury
Romantic Affairs (Assamese) – Monjul Barua
Sholay (Hindi) – Ramesh Sippy
The Great Shamsuddin Family (Hindi) – Anusha Rizvi
Tighee (Motherhood) (Marathi) – Jeejivisha Rajshekhar Kale
Victoria (Malayalam) – Sivaranjini
Vimukt (In Search of the Sky) (Braj Bhasha) – Jitank Singh Gurjar
Feature Documentaries
Breaking the Code – Ben Rekhi, Swetlana
Déjà Vu – Bedabrata Pain
I, Poppy – Vivek Chaudhury
Marriage Cops – Shashwati Talukdar, Cheryl Hess
Narrative Shorts
Aashirwad (Blessings)
Aasmani
Automagic
Chunni
Almari Ka Achaar (Cupboard Pickle)
Distance
Donger-Pani (Land-Water)
The First Bite
Flowers Bloom When Touched
Ghar Ki Lakshmi (A Virtuous Woman)
Hills Don’t Dance Alone
Jasmine That Blooms in Autumn
Kuchar (The Itch)
Notice Me Now
O’Sey Balamma
Razaa
Room at the Farm
Roots
Salt
Tumhari Bari Jo! (Jo’s Turn)
Waagh
Warm Shadows
Documentary Shorts
Cholhama
Ruptured Lines
The Last Resort
This Tree Won’t Fall
Waai

About NYIFF
The New York Indian Film Festival is presented annually by the Indo-American Arts Council
(IAAC), a nonprofit dedicated to promoting Indian arts and culture in the United States.

Tickets will be available soon at www.nyiff.us

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