IFFM 2026 announces award winners: Dulquer Salmaan wins Best Actor, Rishab Shetty adjudged Best Director

The Malayalam film ‘Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra’ was named Best Film while ‘Freedom At Midnight’ season 2 won Best Series

Updated - August 14, 2026 04:33 pm IST

Rishab Shetty and Dulquer Salmaan | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The 17th Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) 2026 announced its list of winners recently. Dulquer Salmaan grabbed the award for Best Actor for his performance in the film, Kaantha, while Kirti Kulhari took home Best Actress for her performance in Full Plate.

Rishab Shetty won Best Director for Kantara: A Legend - Chapter 1. He was also honoured with the Leadership in Cinema award, recognising his contribution to contemporary Indian cinema.

The Malayalam film Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra was named Best Film while ‘Freedom At Midnight’ season 2 won Best Series. The audience also had a voice in this year’s awards, with Saiyaara winning the People’s Choice Award.

Here’s a complete list of winners:

- Best Film: Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra

- Best Film - Special Mention: The Great Shamshuddin Family

- Best Indie Film - Not a Hero - Rima Das

- Special Mention - Indie Film: Kikkran De Phull (Flowers of Acacia)

- Best Director: Rishab Shetty - Kantara: A Legend - Chapter 1

- Best Actor: Dulquer Salmaan - Kaantha

- Best Actress: Kirti Kulhari - Full Plate

- Best Film from the Subcontinent: No Good Men - Shahrbanoo Sadat

- Best Documentary Film: Flying Tigers - Madhushree Dutta

- People’s Choice Award: Saiyaara

- Equality in Cinema Award, presented by La Trobe: Sitaare Zameen Par

- Special Mention - Equality in Cinema: Simran Mangeshkar - Sitaare Zameen Par

- Rainbow Storyteller Award: Lala and Poppy

- Short Film Competition (Australia) : The Weight of Soil

- ⁠Short Film Competition (India) : Jo’s Turn

- Best Actor (Series): Vijay Varma - Matka King

- Best Actress (Series): Rasika Dugal - Delhi Crime 3

- Best Series: Freedom At Midnight, Season 2

- Artist of Distinction: Pankaj Tripathi

- Special Recognition: 30 Years of Rani Mukerji

- Leadership in Cinema: Rishab Shetty

- Excellence in Cinema: Rekha

Published - August 14, 2026 03:31 pm IST

Indian cinema / Hindi cinema / entertainment (general) / arts, culture and entertainment / cinema

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