The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2025 hosted its annual Awards Night, honouring the finest in Indian cinema with a night full of applause, emotion, and cinematic pride. Neeraj Ghaywan’s film Homebound was the big winner, taking home Best Film and Best Director.
Aamir Khan received the Excellence in Cinema Award for his long standing contribution to the industry. Abhishek Bachchan won Best Actor (Male) for I Want to Talk, and Gugun Kigpen got a Special Mention for Boong.
Check out the full list of winners from IFFM 2025 to see all the celebrated films, actors, and creators.
IFFM 2025 Award Winners – Complete List
- Best Film: Homebound
- Best Director: Neeraj Ghaywan (Homebound)
- Best Indie Film: Angammal
- Best Actor (Male) – Film: Abhishek Bachchan (I Want to Talk)
- Special Mention – Best Actor (Male) – Film: Gugun Kigpen (Boong)
- Best Actor (Female) – Film: Geetha Kailasam (Angammal)
- Best Series: Black Warrant
- Best Actor (Male) – Series: Jaideep Ahlawat (Paatal Lok Season 2)
- Best Actor (Female) – Series: Nimisha Sajayan (Dabba Cartel)
- Excellence in Cinema: Aamir Khan
- Leadership in Cinema: Arvind Swamy
- Disruptor Award: Vir Das
- Diversity in Cinema: Aditi Rao Hydari
- Equality in Cinema: Baksho Bondi
- Best Short Film (India): Kalar Pencils by Dhananjay Santosh Goregaonkar
- Best Short Film (Australia): Drifters by David Liu
Celebrities Reflections On Their Awards
Aamir Khan expressed his gratitude, “I have been attracted to telling stories from a very young age. Filmmaking is a collaborative art and this award and recognition wouldn’t have been possible without my writers, directors, co-stars, and the audiences who have allowed me to tell the stories and be part of the many stories i have been part of.”
Arvind Swamy, honoured with the Leadership in Cinema award, shared, “I’m still a student of cinema even though I have been given leadership in cinema for my work. If anyone offers me role event today that’s in my comfort zone, I wouldn’t do it, I always want roles that challenge me. I’m grateful for the recognition to be given the Leadership in Cinema award at IFFM 2025”.
Reflecting on his Best Actor win, Abhishek Bachchan shared the emotional journey behind the role, “Life has come a full circle for me. I came here in 2022 where I was feted with the excellence in cinema award for my body of work. But this is an emotional moment for me to get the best actor on this very stage and be recognised for my role in a film that’s extremely special to me,” Bachchan said.
He further added “It was 3 years back in Melbourne at this same festival where Shoojit Da offered me this role in ‘I Want To Talk’. It was Shoojit Da who believed in me that I could pull off this role and this role is an ode to my father and my daughter because it’s about caring and raising a parent.”
The 16th edition of IFFM continues until August 24, bringing together filmmakers, actors, and audiences to celebrate creativity, culture, and cinematic excellence.
