It is a pleasure to welcome you to Victoria for the 2015 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, the southern hemisphere's largest annual celebration of Indian cinema.

Film is a powerful tool not only for entertaining but also for building understanding. This year’s Festival will explore the theme of equality, providing audiences with the opportunity to explore this important issue through different lenses.

Now in its fourth year, the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne attracts thousands of local and international guests each year. The Festival has ignited and grown Victoria’s fascination with Bollywood and has provided an opportunity to deepen our relationship with India through our shared love of film.

Victoria is proudly home to Australia’s largest Indian community. With more than 110,000 Victorians born in India, the population has doubled in the past five years, providing links between Victoria and India. The Victorian Government is committed to building on these strong cultural and economic connections to create new partnerships and opportunities.

The Victorian Government is proud to support events such as the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne, as they turn the world’s spotlight on Victoria and provide an opportunity to celebrate our rich multicultural community.

I welcome visitors to Melbourne, and invite Victorian audiences to enjoy the diversity and cultural breadth of Indian cinema during the Festival.