I have great pleasure in welcoming you all the newly opened Omniplex
Nutgrove Cinema, the Bridge Enterprise Center and at the Milltwon
Golf Club to the 17th Indian Film Festival of Ireland 2026. This year the
festival is giving focus and will be hosting a retrospective of actor
Ekavali Khanna in a double bill of director Harish Viyas’s two films.
Some great documentaries from the Indian film industry, and is opening
the festival with a feature film OM KA HARI, the story of Father and
Son. The closing film is A Story that Refused to Die film by Ranjeeta
Kaur. other important documentary film is PIPALANTRI – a film on Eco
feminism and the environmental film It’s Only 47 degree, short film, on
global warming in India’s home production Sheeee, a short film made
by local Indian-origin filmmaker Vivek Srikumar and many more feature
films over the four days. The festival is giving tribute to the legendary
actor Dharmendra – who passed away on 24th Nov. 2025. The festival
is showing his first film, DIL BHI TERA, HUM BHI TERE, at Bridge
Enterprise center and the last film IKKIS at the Omniplex Cinema
This year, like previous years, the festival faced more challenges in fundraising and selecting so many good films, in the short category and documentary category and feature films.

As many of you know, the IFFI has been established over the past sixteen years as Ireland’s boutique film festival, introducing the world’s largest film industry, Indian cinema, to the Irish audience. And a real
potential for making Irish–Indian co-production films. The IFFI 2026 is delighted to reinvent and recreate its glorious structure, and will have
three distinct features; we shall be screening films and live show during the
gala glamorous award night next day on the 14th September, to honour
the visiting guest.

Several Live Indian classical dancers are specially performing for the IFFI
2026, in order to complement and celebrate the Indian dance art form
incorporated in our films, such as Kathak and Bharatnatyam an Indian
classical dance form during the gala award ceremony.

We are now developing our own Irish-Indian cross-over fiction and
non-fiction, and short films to be made here creating an Irish-India film
production corridor.

The 17th IFFI 2026 has been supported, like previous years, by RTE supporting
the Arts, Dun Laoghaire County Council, Omniplex Nutgrove Cinema,
The Bridge Enterprise Center and a few old friends and patrons.
I am delighted to bring, once again, this very different festival. I sincerely thank all sponsors, advertisers, festival partners and friends. and my festival team, who made this possible by their generous
support.

All cinema season tickets: €30 – please book from Eventbrite.