Overview
- The nine-day festival runs November 20–28 with organizers citing 270 films from 84 countries, including multiple world, international and Asian premieres.
- The inaugural parade replaced the traditional indoor ceremony with state tableaux led by Andhra Pradesh, Haryana and Goa, cinematic floats from major studios, an NFDC 50-years tableau and the ‘Bharat Ek Soor’ folk showcase.
- WAVES Film Bazaar opened under its new branding with curated sections and a first-time $20,000 cash grant for filmmakers, alongside tech-focused programming such as the CinemAI Hackathon with LTIMindtree.
- Programming highlights include Japan as Country of Focus with curated packages from Spain and Australia, 21 masterclasses, and an Indian Panorama featuring 25 features and 20 non-features.
- Organizers said Rajinikanth will be honored at the November 28 closing ceremony for 50 years in cinema, while Nandamuri Balakrishna was felicitated at the opening.