Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2023 nominations revealed: Darlings, Kantara, Agra, and more take the lead; check the list here

The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) has announced the nominations for its highly anticipated 14th edition. As the largest Indian film festival outside of Indian soil, IFFM continues to captivate audiences worldwide. This year, the festival proudly welcomes a new addition to its esteemed jury panel, the Oscar-winning Australian filmmaker Bruce Beresford, renowned for directing acclaimed films such as Driving Miss Daisy and The Contract. 

IFFM is the only Indian film festival outside of the Indian soil that is backed by the government of another country and with that IFFM stands as a remarkable celebration of Indian cinema and cultural exchange. With its finger on the pulse of the industry, the festival has embraced the changing landscape of film consumption by introducing the OTT Awards in 2021. Now in its third year, the OTT Awards will honor outstanding achievements in three categories.

The IFFM advisory committee after meticulous consideration of hundreds of films and series from across Indian cinema, have finalized the nominations of films and series which have released between 1st June 20222 to 31st May 2023. Leading the pack in the film categories, including Best Film, Best Actor, and Best Actress, are notable productions such as Darlings, Monica O My Darling, Ponniyin Selvan, and Kantara. These films have captivated audiences with their stellar performances, engaging storytelling, and artistic excellence. The nominations reflect the diversity and richness of Indian cinema, acknowledging the blockbusters and the indie gems on the same platform.

In the OTT category, series such as Trial By Fire, Jubilee, and Delhi Crime Season 2 have garnered the highest number of nominations. These exceptional series have made a significant impact with their compelling narratives, outstanding performances, and remarkable production values. For OTT nominations, only series on platforms which are available to be streamed in the Australian market have been considered.

The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne has consistently pushed boundaries and showcased the best of Indian cinema to a global audience. With the support of its dedicated jury and industry professionals, the festival continues to champion innovation, creativity, cultural diversity and inclusivity.

Here is the complete list of nominees:

Best Film

Bhediya – Hindi

Brahmastra – Hindi

Darlings – Hindi

Jogi – Punjabi

Kantara – Kannada

Monica, O My Darling – Hindi

Pathaan – Hindi

Ponniyin Selvan 1 and 2 – Tamil

Sita Ramam – Telugu

Best Indie Film

Aatma Pamphlet – Marathi

Agra – Hindi

All India Rank – Hindi

Family – Malayalam

Gulmohar – Hindi

Hadinelentu (Seventeeners) – Kannada

Joram – Hindi

Pine Cone – Hindi

The Storyteller – Hindi

Tora’s Husband – Assamese

Zwigato – Hindi

Best Director

Anant Mahadevan – The Storyteller

Anurag Kashyap – Kennedy

Ashish Avinash Bende - Aatma-Pamphlet (Autobio-Pamphlet)

Devashish Makhija – Joram

Don Palathara - Family

Kanu Behl - Agra

Mani Ratnam – Ponniyin Selvan 1 and 2

Nandita Das – Zwigato

Prthivi Konanur – Hadinelentu (Seventeeners)

Rima Das – Tora’s Husband

Siddharth Anand – Pathaan

Vasan Bala – Monica, O My Darling

Best Actor (Male)

Dulquer Salmaan - Sita Ramam

Kapil Sharma - Zwigato

Manoj Bajpayee - Joram

Manoj Bajpayee - Gulmohar

Mohit Agarwal - Agra

Paresh Rawal - The Storyteller

Rajkummar Rao – Monica, O My Darling

Rishab Shetty - Kantara

Shah Rukh Khan - Pathaan

Vijay Varma - Darlings

Vikram – Ponnyin Selvan 1 and 2

Best Actor (Female)

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan – Ponniyin Selvan 1 and 2

Akshatha Pandavapura – Koli Esru

Alia Bhatt – Darlings

Bhumi Pednekar – Bheed

Kajol - Salaam Venky 

Mrunal Thakur – Sita Ramam

Neena Gupta - Vadh 

Rani Mukherjee – Mrs Chatterjee Vs Norway

Sai Pallavi – Gargi

Sanya Malhotra – Kathal 

Best Series

Dahaad

Delhi Crime Season 2

Farzi

Jubilee

SHE Season 2

Suzhal: The Vortex

The Broken News

Trial By Fire

Best Actor (Male) -  Series

Abhay Deol – Trial By Fire

Abhishek Bachchan – Breathe - Into The  Shadows Season 2 

Aparshakti Khurana – Jubilee

Prosenjit Chatterjee – Jubilee

Shahid Kapoor – Farzi

Sidhant Gupta – Jubilee

Vijay Sethupathi – Farzi

Vijay Varma – Dahaad

Best Actor (Female) – Series

Rajshri Deshpande – Trial By Fire

Rasika Dugal – Delhi Crime Season 2

Shefali Shah – Delhi Crime Season 2

Shriya Pilgaonkar – The Broken News

Sriya Reddy – Suzhal: The Vortex

Tillotama Shome – Delhi Crime Season 2

Wamiqa Gabbi – Jubilee

Best Documentary

Against The Tide

Dharti Latar Re Horo - (Tortoise Under The Earth)

Fatima

Kucheye Khoshbakht (And, Towards Happy Alleys)

To Kill A Tiger

While We Watched

The winners of the prestigious IFFM 2023 Awards will be announced during the festival, at their annual gala night on 11th August 2023 which is set to be hosted at the iconic Hamer Hall in Melbourne, one of the world's most sophisticated concert halls.

Also Read: R Balki directorial Ghoomer starring Abhishek Bachchan and Saiyami Kher set for world premiere at Indian Film Festival of Melbourne 2023

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