The Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) 2026 took place from June 15 to June 21, 2026, at the Ravindra Natya Mandir in Mumbai, India. This was the 19th edition of the Mumbai International Film Festival.
Organized by:
The Film Festival was organized by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, Government of India and executed by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).
Film Entries:
» MIFF 2026 received an overwhelming response with 1,459 film entries from 47 countries, including India.
- The Competition Section comprised of 144 films, including 52 international and 92 national entries, representing filmmakers from 13 countries.
- The non-competition section featured a total of 202 films, including 106 international titles and 96 national films from 46 participating countries, collectively presenting over 83 hours of screenings.
Opening Films:
- AGAPITO (Philippines); Dir: Arvin Belarmino & Kyla Danelle Romero
- GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL (Canada); Dir: Cordell Barker
- TIME AND WATER (United States, Iceland); Dir: Sara Dosa
Mid Fest Films:
- I LOVE YOU, I LEAVE YOU (Switzerland); Dir: Moris Freiburghaus
- HYENA (USA); Dir: Altay Ulan Yang
- EENY, MEENY, MINY, MOE! (Czech Republic, Slovak˞ia); Dir: Andrea Szelesová
Closing Ceremony:
» The 19th edition of the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF 2026) concluded on June 21st amidst an enthusiastic gathering of filmmakers, film enthusiasts, industry professionals, and young creative minds, all united by their passion for cinema, storytelling, artistic pursuits and creativity.
- The Governor of Maharashtra, Shri Jishnu Dev Varma, attended the Closing Ceremony of 19th MIFF as the Chief Guest.
- A total of 17 awards recognizing excellence in documentary, animation and short fiction filmmaking were presented during the closing ceremony.
- The festival concluded with a screening of the Golden Conch-winning documentary Silver, offering audiences one final cinematic experience before MIFF signed off until its next edition in 2028.
Award Winners of the 19th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) 2026:
International Competition Category:
Golden Conch for Best International Documentary Film– Polish documentary film ‘Silver’; Ms Natalia Koniarz (Director) & Mr Maciej Kubicki (Producer); Cash prize of ₹ 10 lakh
Silver Conch for Best International Short Fiction Film- Iranian film Under The Snow; Ms Nafiseh Zare (Director) & Ms Kottukathira Prakash (Producer), Shri Deepankar Prakash (Producer); Cash prize of ₹ 5 Lakh
Silver Conch for Best International Animation Film– German animation film Maya’s Song; Ms Franziska Schönenberger & Mr Jayakrishnan Subramanian (Directors/Producers); Cash prize of ₹ 5 Lakh
International Competition Technical Awards:
Best Cinematographer- Shri Krish Makhija; Indian documentary Turtle Walker
Best Editing- Short fiction film editor Mr Evgeny Smirnov & Mr Maksim Smirnov; Russian film About the Cow; Director Mr. Anton Simukhin
Best Sound Designer– Shri Abhay Rumde (Purple Haze Studio); Indian film Deva Aaj Pan Vhay
National Competition Category:
Silver Conch for Best Indian Documentary Film- Documentary Waai; Shri Sainath S. Uskaikar (Director) & Shri Bharatbala Ganapathy (Producer); Cash prize of ₹ 5 lakhs
Silver Conch for Best Animation Film: Tamil language animation Armstrong from Angaalamman Temple Street; Shri Bhuvanesh M. Kumar (Director & Producer); Cash Prize of ₹3 Lakh
Silver Conch for Best Indian Short Fiction Film- Film Small Clouds; Shri Shubham Sumit (Director) & FTII produced film / Shri Dhiraj Singh (Producer); Cash Prize of ₹3 Lakh
National Competition’s Technical Categories:
Best Sound Design Award- Shri Bigyna Dahal; film Kovarty
Best Editing Award- Editor Shri Akhil Krishnan; film MAYDAY; Director Shri Sarath Ambatt
Best Cinematographer- Shri Ranadhir Biswas; film Small Clouds
Special Award:
Best short film Award on “Viksit Bharat/ 150 Years of VandeMataram/ Bharat@2026”– The Last Shelter; by Shri Bharat Arora and Shri Rajesh Bhatia
Special Jury Award:
Pramod Pati Special Jury Award for Most Innovative/Experimental Film– Taiwanese film The Hoarders; director Ms. Chuan-Ying Liao
Sponsored Awards
IDPA Award for the Best Student Film- Shri Milan Kumar; film The Old Bull knows, or Once Knew
- Indian Documentary Producers’ Association (IDPA)
Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari Award for Best Debut Director- Ms. Pooja Tolani; film ‘Raaza’
FIPRESCI AWARD
FIPRESCI International Critics Prize (FIPRESCI Prize) (instituted by the International Federation of Film Critics)- Shri Pradeep Kenchanuru; film The Hug of Emptiness
Waves Doc Bazar Section of MIFF 2026:
The 2nd edition of WAVES Doc Bazaar concluded successfully at the 19th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) 2026, reaffirming its role as a key platform for documentary filmmakers to connect with mentors, producers, distributors, broadcasters and industry professionals from across the world. Several awards were presented to support promising documentary projects during the closing ceremony.
2nd Edition of Waves Doc Bazaar Awards Ceremony:
Prasad Labs Awards:
- Prasad Lab Post Production Award (offering free 4K DI services for up to 50 hours at Prasad Labs, Chennai) – filmmaker Karishma Rao; documentary film ‘On a Good Note’
- Prasad Lab Post Production Award (offering a 50% discount on DI services for up to 50 hours)- filmmaker Indrajeet More; feature documentary film ‘It takes a village’
IICT Post-Production Awards:
- IICT Post-Production Award (offering a 50% discount on 50 hours of 4K DI)- filmmakers Nandan Saxena and Kavita Bahl; documentary film ‘Adieu Dilli’
- IICT Post-Production Award (offering a 50% discount on 50 hours of 4K DI)- filmmaker Saanya Anand; documentary film ‘Do Chaar Din’
Reborn India Films Distribution Award:
- Reborn India Film Distribution Award (ensuring a theatrical release across 10 screens with distribution support valued at ₹7 lakh)- filmmaker Karishma Rao; documentary film ‘On a Good Note’
NFDC Cash Grant Awards:
- NFDC Cash Grant of ₹1 lakh- filmmaker Ashok Meena; for the project ‘Kunchok and His Many Moons’
- NFDC Cash Grant of ₹1 lakh- filmmaker Madhurima Maiti; for the project ‘The Girl Beneath The Sun’
- NFDC Cash Grant of ₹1 lakh- filmmaker Asmita Pal; for the project ‘Tukro Tukro Prithbi’
About MIFF:
- Started in 1990, the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) is the oldest and largest film festival for non-feature films in South Asia.
- The Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) is a premier platform celebrating the best in documentary, short fiction, and animation films from across the globe, fostering dialogue and learning through specialized masterclasses and workshops.