(Aditi Samarth, Mumbai)

The prestigious biennial non-feature film festival, Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF), organised by NFDC, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Govt. of India, successfully held its 19th edition this year from June 15 to 21, 2026.

The 19th MIFF featured grand Opening and Closing ceremonies that were decorated by vibrant cultural performances. This year, the competitive section of the festival received 1,459 film entries from 46 countries, including India.

The Opening Ceremony

The 19th MIFF 2026 opened on June 15, 2026 at Ravindra Natya Mandir, in the gracious presence of dignitaries like Hon’ble Union Minister of State – Dr. L. Murugan ji, Hon’ble Minister of Cultural Affairs of Maharashtra – Shri Ashish Shelar ji, MD of NFDC – Shri Prakash Magdum ji, the newly appointed festival director of IFFI – Shri Ashutosh Gowarikar ji, chief guests – Dr. Kiran Shantaram ji, Shri Jaideep Ahlawat ji, Shri Prasoon Joshi ji, and many more, including the jury.

The distinguished jury for International Competition, National Competition, and FIPRESCI Critics Prize were felicitated during the Opening Ceremony.

Jury for International Competition included Puerto Rican filmmaker – Mr. Iván Dariel Ortiz, South African documentary filmmaker – Mr. Brian Tilley, Indian filmmaker and classical performing artist – Ms. Revathy Suresh, Columbian filmmaker – Mr. Carlos Federico Atehortua Arteaga, and chaired by Indian filmmaker, writer and retired professor of Sanskrit – Dr. G. Prabha.

Jury for National Competition included Indian filmmaker – Mr. Himanshu Prajapati, Indian media professional – Dr. Nayana R, New York-based cinematographer and producer – Mr. Isaac Joseph Banks, Sri Lankan programmer, photographer and documentary filmmaker – Ms. Anomaa Rajakaruna, and chaired by Indian film historian, critic and author – Mr. Gangadhara Mudaliar.

Jury for FIPRESCI Critics Prize included Japanese film critic – Ms. Kyoko Endo Inada, Indian professor and film critic – Ms. Rita Dutta, and Paris-based German film journalist, curator and festival consultant – Ms. Barbara Lorey.

Opening Films

“Time and Water” (Documentary) directed by Oscar-nominated non-fiction filmmaker Sara Dosa
“Agapito” (Short Fiction) directed by Filipino filmmakers Arvin Belarmino & Kyla Romero
“Good Luck To You All” (Animation) directed by two-time Oscar-nominated animator Cordell Barker

Busan : Next Wave

The 19th MIFF had a special showcase of representative short films from one of Asia’s most reputed Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). Busan is known as the City of Film, and BIFF has consistently introduced fresh and daring works from Asia. This section featured 5 films exploring diverse themes through refined and distinctive cinematic styles.

“A Man Who Takes Pictures of Flowers” | dir: Yoo Lee
“Delay” | dir: Wang Han-Xuan
“Interface” | dir: Aya Kawazoe
“It Sounds Louder On Rainy Days” | dir: KIM Sang yun
“Noise Cancellation” | dir: Jihye Choi

Animation Canvas

Internationally acclaimed Indian animator and curator, Ms. Dhvani Desai curated this special section showcasing Belgian Animation, Chilean Animation, and Retrospective of Raimund Krumme.

Belgium:
“Carrousel” | dir: Jasmine Elsen
“Half Babka” | dir: Jasmine Elsen
“Pina” | dir: Jeremy Depuydt & Giuseppe Accardo
“Raven (Raaf)” | dir: Jeroen Ceulebrouck

Chile:
“Flies (Moscas)” | dir: Zyanya Salcedo Petrovic
“Singing With Meaning, A Biography Of Violeta Parra” | dir: Leonardo Beltran
“The Roots Of Efrain (Las Raices De Efrain)” | dir: Carolina Cortes Balmaceda & Carolina Pedreros
“Trumpet Voice (Voz De Trompeta)” | dir: David Monarte Serna & Pilar Smoje Gueico

Mid-Fest Films

“Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe!” (Animation) directed by Andrea Szelesová.
“Hyena” (Short Fiction) directed by Altay Ulan Yang.
“I Love You, I Leave You” (Documentary) directed by Moris Freiburghaus.

According To Aditi

Some of the films that I watched and found very impressive….

“Going Solo” is a documentary directed by Ameya Vivek Gore, that follows the journey of two Indian female cyclists, Gareema Shankar (44) and Renu Singhi (58), to participate in and complete the LEL event.

“Chalisa” is a short stop-motion clay animation directed by Swati Agarwal. She brings the Hanuman Chalisa to life in the most creative and adorable way.

Israel’s “My Bee Family”, directed by Adva Ofir, is a documentary based on the director’s beekeeping family, filmed over a decade. It is a beautiful portrayal of their life and experiences as beekeepers, carrying on their family tradition generation to generation, while also raising awareness about the importance of bees.

“The Hoarders” is a short film directed by Taiwanese filmmaker, Chuan-Ying Liao. With a fresh concept, this film deals with the problem of hoarding.

“Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe!” an animation film directed by Andrea Szelesová, tells the story of Yios, a lonely mythical boy whose head shines like the sun. Because he is different, he struggles to fit in, feeling isolated and misunderstood by the other children living in the clouds. After a prank gone wrong sends him falling to Earth, Yios meets a human boy who immediately offers him friendship. This unexpected bond changes how Yios views himself and where he belongs.

“A Man Who Takes Pictures of Flowers” directed by Yoo Lee, is a short animated documentary about a Korean photographer, Jung Myung Kim who has spent over 40 years taking beautiful photographs of wildflowers in Korea.

“75 Years of NDA” is a documentary directed by Tanuj Bhatia & Tanuka Laghate, and narrated by Amitabh Bachchan. Unlike any other informative or promotional film, it is captivating in terms of cinematic storytelling.

Sessions, Masterclasses & Open Forums

Alongside the screenings, the 2nd edition of Waves Doc Bazaar, enriching Masterclasses, and Open Forum by IDPA further enhanced the cinematic and creative exchange at the festival.

The Closing Ceremony

The Closing Ceremony of the 19th MIFF 2026 at Ravindra Natya Mandir was graced by several dignitaries and renowned personalities from the film industry. The event was attended by Hon’ble Governor of Maharashtra Shri Jishnu Dev Varma ji.

The closing ceremony also means the award ceremony where the winners across all the categories are awarded.

National Competition:

The Silver Conch for Best Indian Animation Film went to “Armstrong from Angaalamman Temple Street”, directed and produced by Bhuvanesh M. Kumar alias Bunz.

The Silver Conch for Best Indian Short Fiction Film was awarded to “Small Clouds”, directed by Shubham Sumit and produced by Dhiraj Singh.

The Silver Conch for Best Indian Documentary Film went to “Waai”, directed by Sainath S. Uskaikar and produced by Bharatbala Ganapathy. Uskaikar accepted the award along with Jawahar Sharma on behalf of producer Bharatbala Ganapathy.

In the National Competition’s technical categories, Bigyna Dahal won Best Sound Design for “Kovarty”, Akhil Krishnan won Best Editing for “MAYDAY”, and Ranadhir Biswas was awarded Best Cinematography for “Small Clouds”.

International Competition:

The Silver Conch for Best Animation Film was awarded to Germany’s “Maya’s Song”, directed and produced by Franziska Schönenberger & Jayakrishnan Subramanian. The award was received by lead animator and studio representative Sanika Kulkarni on behalf of the filmmakers.

The Silver Conch for Best Short Fiction Film in the International Competition went to Iran’s “Under The Snow”, directed by Nafiseh Zare. Producer Deepankar Prakash accepted the award on behalf of the director and producers Kottukathira Prakash & Pouya Saeedi.

In the International Competition technical categories, Abhay Rumde won Best Sound Design for “Deva Aaj Pan Vhay”, Evgeny Smirnov & Maksim Smirnov won Best Editing for Russia’s “About the Cow”, and Krish Makhija was honoured for Best Cinematography for “Turtle Walker”.

The festival’s highest honour, the Golden Conch for Best Documentary Film of the Festival, was awarded to the Polish documentary “Silver”, directed by Natalia Koniarz and produced by Maciej Kubicki. The jury described the film as “a poetic yet uncompromising exploration of poverty, labour and dignity, transforming a local reality into a profound reflection on global injustice.” The award was received on behalf of the filmmakers by Malgorzata Wejsis-Gołębiak, Minister Plenipotentiary and Director of the Polish Institute.

Apart from the Conch awards, filmmaker Pradeep Kenchanuru won the FIPRESCI International Critics Prize for “The Hug of Emptiness”, while Milan Kumar received the IDPA Award for Best Student Film for “The Old Bull Knows, or Once Knew”. Pooja Tolani was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari Award for Best Debut Director for “Razaa”. “The Last Shelter” won the Special Award for Best Short Film on Viksit Bharat / 150 Years of Vande Mataram / Bharat@2026, and Taiwanese filmmaker Chuan-Ying Liao received the Pramod Pati Special Jury Award for Most Innovative / Experimental Film for “The Hoarders”.

The 19th edition of Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) 2026 concluded on June 21, 2026, with the closing screening of the Golden Conch winner, Polish documentary “Silver”.

( Aditi Samarth is a actress, film critic, kathak performer, journalist )