Perth is set to gain a major new cultural event this November, with the inaugural Indian Film Festival of Perth announced for 12–15 November 2026. The four-day program will screen more than 30 films across Indian and South Asian languages at multiple locations around the city.
For Western Australia’s Indian diaspora, the announcement is more than a weekend at the movies. It creates a new local platform for the many languages, regions and storytelling traditions represented within the community—and gives wider Australian audiences another way to encounter contemporary South Asian cinema beyond mainstream Hindi releases.
What has been announced
According to Cinema Express, the first Perth festival will run across several venues from Thursday 12 November to Sunday 15 November. Its program is expected to include more than 30 films in a range of Indian and South Asian languages.
The announcement was made during Western Australian Premier Roger Cook’s visit to India. A select group of Indian filmmakers is also expected to visit Perth, creating opportunities for audiences and the local screen sector to connect with visiting industry figures.
The Perth edition comes from the team associated with the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne and the Indian Film Festival of Sydney. Bringing the format to a third Australian city is a significant step for WA residents who have often needed to travel interstate for a comparable festival experience.
Why the festival matters for Indian Australians in WA
Indian cinema is not a single industry or language. It spans Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Punjabi, Bengali, Kannada, Marathi and many other screen cultures, alongside films from across South Asia. A program of more than 30 titles has the potential to introduce Perth audiences to independent features, documentaries and regional-language stories that may receive only limited commercial releases in Australia.
The festival can also offer practical benefits beyond representation:
- Community connection: families, students and newly arrived migrants can share stories from home in a public Australian setting.
- Cross-cultural understanding: subtitled screenings can help colleagues, neighbours and friends explore South Asian experiences without needing prior knowledge.
- Industry access: visiting filmmakers and festival activity may create networking and learning opportunities for WA-based writers, actors, producers and students.
- Support for local venues: a multi-location event can bring audiences into cinemas and cultural precincts across Perth.
A wider India–WA screen push
The festival announcement follows the September launch of the independent, not-for-profit West Australian Indian Film Council. A FilmInk announcement said the council aims to develop long-term links between Western Australia and India across film, television, streaming, digital media and the broader creative industries.
The council’s proposed work includes connecting producers and creators, supporting delegations, encouraging talent exchange and showcasing WA’s production capabilities. Its chair, Nilesh Makwana, has pointed to Perth’s geographic position as a potential gateway between Australia, India and the Indian Ocean region.
Those ambitions also align with the state’s growing production capacity, including the development of Perth Film Studios. A public festival and an industry-focused council serve different purposes, but together they signal a more sustained effort to make Indian cinema visible within WA’s cultural and creative landscape.
How Perth families can prepare
The initial announcement confirms the dates, multi-location format and broad program size. It does not yet provide a complete film line-up, venue list, session timetable or ticketing details. Audiences should therefore avoid relying on unofficial social posts that claim to sell tickets before authorised booking information is released.
Save these details now
- Dates: 12–15 November 2026
- Location: multiple venues across Perth
- Program: more than 30 Indian and South Asian films
- Guests: a select group of Indian filmmakers is expected
Families interested in attending can keep the weekend free, watch for the official program, and check whether individual screenings carry age classifications or content advice. Community organisations and film clubs may also consider planning group outings once venues and ticketing are confirmed.
What to watch for next
The most important next announcement will be the full program. Language coverage, opening and closing films, Australian premieres, filmmaker sessions, accessibility arrangements and ticket prices will determine how broadly the event serves Perth’s diverse community.
For now, the inaugural Indian Film Festival of Perth is a welcome addition to the calendar of Indian community events in Australia. It promises a concentrated four days of cinema while also opening a longer conversation about collaboration between Western Australia and India. Perth filmgoers should mark 12–15 November and wait for confirmed venue and booking information before making plans.