The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2025 hosted its annual awards night on Friday, giving prizes to the best in Indian cinema and streaming from 2024-25. In a night filled with applause and cinematic pride, filmmaker Neeraj Ghaywan’s Homebound won big, taking home both Best Film and Best Director.
Abhishek Bachchan won Best Actor in a film, while Jaideep Ahlawat took home the corresponding award for a series. Geetha Kailasam and Nimisha Sajayan won the Best Actress awards. Indie film Angammal also won two prizes.
Aamir Khan was honoured with the prestigious Excellence in Cinema Award, while Arvind Swamy, Vir Das, and Aditi Rao Hydari were also bestowed with special honours on the night.
IFFM 2025 Awards: Full list of winners
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
About IFFM 2025
The 16th edition of IFFM opened on Thursday night in Melbourne with Aamir as the chief guest. A screening of Baksho Bondi opened the prestigious festival, which will continue till 24 August. Homebound, fresh from its Cannes success, will be the closing film of the festival. The Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, which has been held since 2009, is the largest celebration of Indian film outside India.