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Contact:

Suman Gollamudi

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New York Indian Film Festival 2026 Lineup and Nominations, Led by ‘Baksho Bondi,’ ‘Flowers of Acacia’, and ‘The Elysian Field’, Signaling Regional Cinema Surge

New York, NY — April 15, 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 launchpad for 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.

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