Message from IFFM Festival Director
Welcome to the third Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, already the biggest event of its kind in the southern hemisphere.

This past year has been extraordinary for Indian film down under, culminating in the success of Dhoom 3, Australia's highest-grossing movie per screen on Christmas day. Increasingly, Melbourne's second generation Indians have introduced their mates and partners to the wild ways of Bollywood, offering a refreshing alternative to Hollywood's superhero movies and rom-coms.

With that in mind we are proud to bring you another fantastic program that showcases the best of Indian cinema in all its diversity, from Mumbai's Bollywood commercial output to more boundary-pushing regional affairs, including India's sub-continental neighbours.
In recognition of Australia's burgeoning love affair with Indian film, we are thrilled to honour its best and brightest at the inaugural IFFM Awards.

It won't be an easy task to whittle down favourites, but with the help of an amazing jury (and IFFM's passionate audiences) we hope these awards will become a regular stop for India's most talented filmmakers.

Even the biggest filmmakers take a while to catch their big break; the Western Union Short Film Competition provides a platform to do just that. From receiving development funding from Film Victoria, to assisting with major commercial features, the success of previous finalists has proven that this competition really opens doors for new voices.

We continue our series of fascinating Masterclasses with a who's who of the Indian media landscape, all sharing their insights and experiences with Victorian filmmakers, students and fans. Melbourne's best movers will have the chance to show some formidable judges what they've got at the fiercely contested Telstra Bollywood Dance Competition in Federation Square.

So why not introduce yourself or a friend, or both, to the incredibly vibrant, always surprising world of Indian cinema at the best possible place… on the big screen.

Mitu Bhowmick Lange, IFFM Festival Director
Copyright © IFFM 2014