Cannes 2026 – All eyes on Alia Bhatt as she helps to launch Bharat (India) Pavilion and IFFI here…
Filmmaker Ashutosh Gowariker encourages fellow creatives to participate
ALL EYES were focused on one of India’s biggest film stars Alia Bhatt as she helped to launch India’s own version of Cannes – the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) alongside filmmaker and new director Ashutosh Gowariker.
He said it was his third time at the festival and welcomed all film lovers to Goa – saying that this year’s Indian film festival theme is Stories Without Borders.
While it always has been, there is a new emphasis showcasing local stories and connecting them to countries and places which may have no prior history, he told the audience gathered for the launch of the pavilion this morning.
Bhatt did not speak but posed for photographs – when unveiling the poster for what is India’s biggest film festival – it was a first reveal.
India’s deputy chief of mission to France Eenam Gambhir also welcomed filmmakers to the pavilion and intimated that India was open to business.
The Indian government has been keen to promote – Waves – World Audio-Visual Entertainment Summit – an initiative which seeks to support Indian and international filmmakers, influencers and content creators and has the personal backing of Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister.
There were also other speakers from the ministry of information and broadcasting in India extolling India’s as the world’s biggest film producer. The pavilion customarily hosts launches and panel talks.
Personally speaking, the crowds were smaller and the event, unusually, started almost on time – Gowariker’s heading of IFFI gives it added appeal – he is a member of the Academy which organises the Oscars and he has a considerable international profile for his helming of ‘Lagaan’ and his appointment follows on from the two years Shekhar Kapur headed up IFFI.
What is interesting is that India formally has not opposed AI type filmmaking – while many among the festival community here and artists themselves in the West – and the Academy itself – has been deeply opposed. It issued a directive that only humans appearing in films and those written by humans were eligible for awards. This subject was touched on in yesterday’s main jury press conference – you can watch on the festival’s YouTube channel. India has supported films which promote ‘responsible’ AI – a short ‘Humans in the Loop’ by Aranya Sahay got official recognition. The film screened in London at Bafta in Piccadilly and the screening was supported by the High Commission of London and others.
IFFI will run from November 20-28 in Goa
More pictures to follow…
Our almost interview with Alia Bhatt-
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