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 Sheee, 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, Embassy of India in Ireland 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.
Bindu Nair is very well known within the community through her volunteering as Master of Ceremony for various cultural and social events for Indian and wider community, DCC and integration councils. She is associated with various local organisations in Ireland and have hosted weekly Malayalam radio show on Dublin’s 99 FM for nearly 2 years, She has hosted for Dublin episode of Asianet Europe and have given voiceovers for radio and television programmes. She was also honoured to be the MC for the Irish Premier visit of Honourable Indian Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s visit to Ireland in 2015.
She has hosted various prestigious celebrity shows in Ireland, to name a few, Shri Yesudas concert in Ireland, Padmasri Shobhana’s dance show, Stephen Devassy’s concert. `
She has been the festive Emcee for over 10 years and continues to be part of the festival as a MC this year as well . The festival has grown from strength to strength over the years and has become an important part of the cultural calendar of Ireland.
Bringing the appeal and culture of Indian cinema to European and Irish audiences
