10 Must-Watch Films at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2025

Ready for a 10-day film marathon, Melbourne? The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne kicks off on August 14 with a dazzling lineup of the coolest indie gems, Bollywood blockbusters, and binge-worthy streaming hits!

The festival, which runs till August 24, is supported by the Victorian Government and is celebrating its 16th year in 2025.

Here are our ten essential picks at IFFM 2025.

1. Baksho Bondi (Shadowbox)Opening Night Gala | Bengali (English Subtitles)
   Kicking off IFFM 2025 is the Australian premiere of Baksho Bondi (Shadowbox), an intimate drama starring Tillotama Shome (also the film’s co-producer). Directed by newcomers Tanushree Das and Saumyananda Sahi, the film traces the life of Maya, a working woman juggling multiple jobs and family struggles in a Kolkata suburb.
   When her husband is implicated in a murder case, Maya must battle prejudice and personal demons with quiet courage. Praised for its layered performance and delicate storytelling, it’s seen as both a celebration and an honest interrogation of women’s resilience in contemporary India.

Baksho Bondi (Shadowbox)

Opening Night Gala | Bengali (English Subtitles)

Kicking off IFFM 2025 is the Australian premiere of Baksho Bondi (Shadowbox), an intimate drama starring Tillotama Shome (also the film’s co-producer). Directed by newcomers Tanushree Das and Saumyananda Sahi, the film traces the life of Maya, a working woman juggling multiple jobs and family struggles in a Kolkata suburb.

When her husband is implicated in a murder case, Maya must battle prejudice and personal demons with quiet courage. Praised for its layered performance and delicate storytelling, it’s seen as both a celebration and an honest interrogation of women’s resilience in contemporary India.

1. HomeboundHindi/English
   
   Acclaimed filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan (Masaan, Sacred Games) brings Homebound, a drama noted for its nuanced exploration of home, identity, and belonging. With standout performances by Abhishek Bachchan and Sharmila Tagore, it’s already a contender in the festival’s top film categories. Quiet yet powerful, Homebound is a must-see for those seeking emotional depth and nuanced social observation in Indian storytelling.

Homebound

Acclaimed filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan (Masaan, Sacred Games) brings Homebound, a drama noted for its nuanced exploration of home, identity, and belonging. With standout performances by Abhishek Bachchan and Sharmila Tagore, it’s already a contender in the festival’s top film categories. Quiet yet powerful, Homebound is a must-see for those seeking emotional depth and nuanced social observation in Indian storytelling.

1. Superboys of MalegaonDocumentary| Hindi
   Leading the nomination list, this heartwarming documentary captures the spirit, humour, and ingenuity of grassroots filmmakers in the small town of Malegaon. Chronicling a team of friends as they create low-budget spoofs and chase their Bollywood dreams, it’s a joyous celebration of creativity, resilience and the love of cinema itself.

Superboys of Malegaon

Leading the nomination list, this heartwarming documentary captures the spirit, humour, and ingenuity of grassroots filmmakers in the small town of Malegaon. Chronicling a team of friends as they create low-budget spoofs and chase their Bollywood dreams, it’s a joyous celebration of creativity, resilience and the love of cinema itself.

1. Village Rockstars 2Assamese
   
   Rima Das returns with a sequel to her Busan-winning Village Rockstars. Set amidst Assam’s lush fields, the follow-up continues the coming-of-age story of Dhunu as she balances dreams, music, and family duty. Accessible and deeply moving, this film exemplifies the quiet power of regional Indian cinema with global resonance.

Village Rockstars 2

Rima Das returns with a sequel to her Busan-winning Village Rockstars. Set amidst Assam’s lush fields, the follow-up continues the coming-of-age story of Dhunu as she balances dreams, music, and family duty. Accessible and deeply moving, this film exemplifies the quiet power of regional Indian cinema with global resonance.

1. BoongAsia Pacific Award Winner | Manipuri
   
   A Manipur-set drama that’s already earned accolades on the Asia Pacific festival circuit, Boongtells the story of a young boy’s journey in search of his estranged father. Director Lakshmipriya Devi crafts a lyrical, at-times heartrending meditation on loss, hope, and the bonds that define us—a must-see for fans of arthouse and world cinema.

Boong

Asia Pacific Award Winner | Manipuri

A Manipur-set drama that’s already earned accolades on the Asia Pacific festival circuit, Boongtells the story of a young boy’s journey in search of his estranged father. Director Lakshmipriya Devi crafts a lyrical, at-times heartrending meditation on loss, hope, and the bonds that define us—a must-see for fans of arthouse and world cinema.

1. The ShamelessCannes Winner | Hindi
   The Shameless made history at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival when Anasuya Sengupta became the first Indian actor to win Best Actress in the festival’s Un Certain Regard section. Directed by Konstantin Bojanov, the gripping Hindi-language drama follows Renuka, a sex worker who escapes a Delhi brothel after killing a policeman, then forms a forbidden bond with a young woman named Devika. Sengupta’s powerful performance and the film’s honest exploration of marginalised communities and queer love are reasons enough to watch this film.
   
2. Feminichi Fathima (Feminist Fathima)IFFK Award Winner | MalayalamFeminichi FathimaMalayalam film Feminichi Fathima emerged as the big winner at the 29th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), clinching five major awards. Directed by Fasil Muhammed, this compelling social drama follows Fathima, a young woman from a conservative community who defies rigid traditions in her fight for gender equality and personal empowerment. Praised for its sharp screenplay and bold narrative, Feminichi Fathima won the FIPRESCI Award for Best Indian Competition Film, NETPAC Award for Best Malayalam Film, Best Screenplay, Audience Choice Award, and a special jury mention.
   
3. Humans In The LoopHindi/ KurukhHumans in the Loop, directed by Aranya Sahay, is a thought-provoking exploration of technology, identity, and family. The film follows Nehma, an Adivasi woman who returns to her Jharkhand village with her two children after a tough divorce. To keep custody, Nehma takes up work as a data labeller in an AI centre, navigating the unfamiliar world of artificial intelligence while grappling with personal struggles.
   Through Nehma’s story, the film insightfully examines how rural women shape—and sometimes challenge—AI systems, shedding light on the complex intersection of bias, empowerment, and belonging in an evolving digital world.
   
4. We Are Faheem And KarunHindi/ KashmiriMir Tawseef and Akash Menon in ‘We Are Faheem And Karun’Onir’s film We Are Faheem & Karun is a tender and visually stunning romance set in Kashmir’s conflicted landscape. The story follows Karun, a young South Indian security officer, and Faheem, a Kashmiri college student, whose forbidden relationship faces barriers of religion, politics, and community prejudice.
   Meeting at a remote border checkpoint, their connection grows through secret gestures and stolen moments, capturing the complexities of love in a divided region. Featuring moving performances by Mir Tawseef and Akash Menon, Onir’s film is a rare, poignant Kashmiri queer love story that celebrates hope amid adversity.(‘Silence speaks loudest In Onir’s new film…’ – Read our review of We Are Faheem And Karun, here.)
   
5. AngammalTamilTamil film Angammal, directed by Vipin Radhakrishnan, is a powerful drama set in a remote village in 1990s Tamil Nadu. The story centres on a city-educated young man who feels embarrassed by his mother’s traditional, blouse-less saree attire as he prepares for a visit from his prospective in-laws.
   Based on Perumal Murugan’s short story “Kodithuni,” the film explores themes of tradition, bodily autonomy, caste, class, and generational conflict. Geetha Kailasam stars as Angammal, whose defiance of modern norms sparks complex family tensions. The film debuted at several festivals, including IFFK 2024, receiving praise for its bold narrative and cultural depth.

The Shameless

Cannes Winner | Hindi

The Shameless made history at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival when Anasuya Sengupta became the first Indian actor to win Best Actress in the festival’s Un Certain Regard section.

Directed by Konstantin Bojanov, the gripping Hindi-language drama follows Renuka, a sex worker who escapes a Delhi brothel after killing a policeman, then forms a forbidden bond with a young woman named Devika. Sengupta’s powerful performance and the film’s honest exploration of marginalised communities and queer love are reasons enough to watch this film.

Feminichi Fathima (Feminist Fathima)

IFFK Award Winner | Malayalam

Malayalam film Feminichi Fathima emerged as the big winner at the 29th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), clinching five major awards. Directed by Fasil Muhammed, this compelling social drama follows Fathima, a young woman from a conservative community who defies rigid traditions in her fight for gender equality and personal empowerment.

Praised for its sharp screenplay and bold narrative, Feminichi Fathima won the FIPRESCI Award for Best Indian Competition Film, NETPAC Award for Best Malayalam Film, Best Screenplay, Audience Choice Award, and a special jury mention.

Humans In The Loop

Humans in the Loop, directed by Aranya Sahay, is a thought-provoking exploration of technology, identity, and family. The film follows Nehma, an Adivasi woman who returns to her Jharkhand village with her two children after a tough divorce. To keep custody, Nehma takes up work as a data labeller in an AI centre, navigating the unfamiliar world of artificial intelligence while grappling with personal struggles.

Through Nehma’s story, the film insightfully examines how rural women shape—and sometimes challenge—AI systems, shedding light on the complex intersection of bias, empowerment, and belonging in an evolving digital world.

We Are Faheem And Karun

Onir’s film We Are Faheem & Karun is a tender and visually stunning romance set in Kashmir’s conflicted landscape. The story follows Karun, a young South Indian security officer, and Faheem, a Kashmiri college student, whose forbidden relationship faces barriers of religion, politics, and community prejudice.

Meeting at a remote border checkpoint, their connection grows through secret gestures and stolen moments, capturing the complexities of love in a divided region. Featuring moving performances by Mir Tawseef and Akash Menon, Onir’s film is a rare, poignant Kashmiri queer love story that celebrates hope amid adversity.

(‘Silence speaks loudest In Onir’s new film…’ – Read our review of We Are Faheem And Karun, here.)

Angammal

Tamil film Angammal, directed by Vipin Radhakrishnan, is a powerful drama set in a remote village in 1990s Tamil Nadu. The story centres on a city-educated young man who feels embarrassed by his mother’s traditional, blouse-less saree attire as he prepares for a visit from his prospective in-laws.

Based on Perumal Murugan’s short story “Kodithuni,” the film explores themes of tradition, bodily autonomy, caste, class, and generational conflict. Geetha Kailasam stars as Angammal, whose defiance of modern norms sparks complex family tensions. The film debuted at several festivals, including IFFK 2024, receiving praise for its bold narrative and cultural depth.