Filmmakers Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and Shoojit Sircar wills serve as jury members for the Short Film Competition at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2025.
The festival is one of the biggest platforms for Indian cinema outside India and has support of the Government of Victoria, Australia.
Ashwiny, known for films like ‘Nil Battey Sannata’ and ‘Bareilly Ki Barfi’, shared her excitement about joining the jury. She said being part of the IFFM jury is a great honour and expressed her love for short films.
According to her, short films come with bold and fresh ideas and are often in use by young filmmakers to share stories that feel real and innovative. She’s eager to watch new voices emerge through this platform.
Shoojit Sircar, the filmmaker behind hits like ‘Piku’, ‘October’, and ‘Sardar Udham’, will join Ashwiny on the jury panel. He praised IFFM for creating a global space where filmmakers from different parts of the world come together.
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He said short films can have strong emotional power despite their shorter runtime. For him, judging the entries is not just a duty. It’s also a chance to discover new talent and fresh storytelling styles.
Welcoming them, Festival Director Mitu Bhowmik Lange said she was proud to have both Ashwiny and Shoojit on board. She called them two of the most creative minds in Indian cinema and believes their presence will add value to the judging process.
She also mentioned that the festival has always aimed to support emerging talent, and having respected filmmakers as judges will surely inspire participants.
In another highlight of the festival, Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan is going to hoist the Indian national flag during the Independence Day celebrations at IFFM 2025.
IFFM is popular not just for screening a wide range of Indian films but also for celebrating the diversity of Indian culture. It brings together stories from different languages, regions, and backgrounds.