From 11–14 June, Mparntwe Alice Springs proudly hosted the National Indian Film Festival of Australia (NIFFA) for the very first time! It was an incredible celebration of culture, diversity, and spectacular storytelling, bringing the magic of Indian cinema right to the heart of the Red Centre.
Bringing a national festival to Alice Springs for the first time was a massive team effort. MCSCA was thrilled to work closely with the NIFFA team, the Araluen Arts Centre, and the Alice Springs Cinema to contribute to the planning and coordination of this milestone event.
Special Highlight: “Stories that Travel” Panel
A major highlight of the weekend was the special panel discussion, “Stories that Travel,” held on Saturday, 13 June at 11:45 AM at the Alice Springs Cinema.
The panel featured our very own MCSCA Manager, Apajok Biar, alongside Festival Director Anupam Sharma and a talented group of local creatives. Together, they looked beyond film as mere entertainment to explore how stories move across lands, languages, and generations. It was a powerful conversation about how cinema can serve as a uniting force—creating a space where diverse cultures can meet and connect authentically without being reduced or romanticised.
Bringing Bollywood to Life: The Indian Dance-Off
Later that afternoon on Saturday,13June at 3:15 PM, the energy shifted to Witchetty’s at the Araluen Cultural Centre for the spectacular NIFFA 2026 Indian Dance-off!
The event kicked off with an incredible dance performance that brought the pure excitement and spectacle of Indian screen culture to life. The audience didn’t just watch, though—everyone got moving as they learned a few simple, fun Bollywood dance steps. The afternoon wrapped up with a light-hearted community dance-off and a shared finale. It was a beautiful display of enthusiasm, connection, and community participation that allowed everyone to experience the true joy of Indian cinema through dance.
A Huge Thank You to Our Community & Board
An event like this thrives on community spirit. We want to extend our deepest gratitude to our local Indian community cultural associations who poured their passion and energy into making the festival a success over the four-day event.
We would also like to give a special shout-out to our dedicated MCSCA board members who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to help bring this vision to life:
- Shihab Rahman
- Gagandeep Ralh
- Sid Vashist
Thank you to everyone who came out between 11–14 June to enjoy the films, learn some dance moves, support the arts, participate in these vital discussions, and celebrate our vibrant multicultural community. We are so proud to have played a part in making NIFFA’s Alice Springs debut an unforgettable experience!
