First Indian film festival in Australia goes beyond Bollywood

Indian films are often characterized by quick cuts, brightly colored saris, and Bollywood songs. However, Australia's first Indian film festival is breaking down this stereotype, screening films in various languages and genres, striving to showcase the diversity of Indian cinema.

The National Indian Film Festival Australia (NIFFA) has completed its first round of screenings across the country and plans to be held annually. The festival, lasting 18 days and spanning February and early March, aims to bring South Asian films to Australian screens. Anupam Sharma, the head of NIFFA and an Indo-Australian filmmaker, hopes the festival will allow Australian audiences to understand the diversity of South Asian cinema.

Mr. Sharma stated, "Internationally, Indians are gradually becoming tired of seeing India through the lens of colonialism and poverty. They want to tell their own stories." He emphasized the desire of Indian filmmakers to break free from stereotypes.

The documentary "Maa Oori Ramayanam," produced by Indo-Australian producer Pradeep Maduri, was one of the films that premiered at NIFFA. Set in the village of Seethampalli in Telangana, the film depicts the scene of locals collectively performing the ancient Indian story "Ramayana." Mr. Maduri's work is dedicated to sharing stories from rural India with the world.

Mr. Sharma stated that NIFFA aims to "empower Australians, especially Indian and South Asian Australians, to tell their own stories without interference from other cultures." He believes that stereotypes will disappear once cultural stories are told from a culturally authentic space. He hopes that through more storytelling, Australian film institutions will support more diverse Australian storytellers.

While the Australian film industry is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, South Asian films have seen some growth. Mr. Sharma stated that the Indian diaspora in Australia contributes more to the box office than the average audience. "Their contribution is far beyond expectations, even eight to nine times more." The release of Indian films, such as "Pushpa: The Rule — Part 2," has brought millions of dollars to the Australian box office.

Data from Screen Australia shows that India produced more than 1,300 films locally in 2022, while Australia only produced 24. In 2023, most of the films released in Australia came from Asia, accounting for 44%, followed by the United States, accounting for 23%. In November 2023, the federal government announced the Australia-India Audio-Visual Co-production Agreement, which provides filmmakers with opportunities to share funding and resources.

Mr. Sharma said: "For us, this is a long-awaited tool to leverage Indian investment to tell our shared stories. Once I build a co-production project, I can get benefits from both Australia and India. These are economic benefits, and in addition to that, I also have creative benefits."

This year's Indian film festival was screened in local cinemas across the country, including the Dendy Cinema in Newtown. Audiences attending the festival said that diverse films are a "gateway to other cultures" and are "very important for understanding the communities we live in in Australia." One audience member told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that holding an Indian film festival in Australia is "very exciting and provides a unique opportunity for people to learn about the full scope of Indian cinema."

Mr. Sharma pointed out that there are "non-Indians who are interested in watching Indian films rather than Bollywood films." "All the mainstream films are released throughout the year... but what's really attractive are those films that have never been released in cinemas." This year's NIFFA program includes 36 Australian premieres and 3 world premieres.

NIFFA plans to return in 2026, when it will introduce Punjabi films, and the festival will also become regionalized. Filmmakers believe that smaller towns also have a demand for South Asian films, especially with the growing immigrant population in remote areas of Australia. Mr. Sharma said: "The Dubbo Film Society and the Dubbo Indian Association have signed up, and now NIFFA will have a regional branch called NIFFA Regional."

Mr. Sharma concluded: "When we talk about diversity in film, we are not seeking favors, we are not seeking handouts. We just want our streets to be accurately represented on our screens."