Mumbai: The 19th edition of the Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF 2026) concluded on a successful note, bringing to a close six days of cinematic celebration, creative dialogue, and compelling storytelling. Reinforcing its position as one of the leading global platforms for documentary, animation, and short fiction cinema, the festival brought together filmmakers, industry professionals, students, emerging creators, and cinema enthusiasts from across the world.
The closing ceremony celebrated excellence across categories with the presentation of 17 awards, recognising outstanding achievements in both international and national competition sections.
The festival’s highest honour, the Golden Conch for Best International Documentary Film, carrying a cash prize of ₹10 lakh, was awarded to the Polish documentary Silver. The Silver Conch for Best International Short Fiction Film, accompanied by a cash prize of ₹5 lakh, went to the Iranian film Under The Snow, while the Silver Conch for Best International Animation Film and a cash prize of ₹5 lakh was awarded to the German animated feature Maya’s Song.
In the National Competition category, Waai received the Silver Conch for Best Indian Documentary Film along with a cash prize of ₹5 lakh. Small Clouds, produced by the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), won the Silver Conch for Best Indian Short Fiction Film, while Tamil animation film Armstrong from Angaalamman Temple Street secured the Silver Conch for Best Animation Film.
The festival also recognised emerging and independent voices through special honours. The FIPRESCI International Critics Prize was awarded to The Hug of Emptiness directed by Pradeep Kenchanuru. The Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari Award for Best Debut Director went to Pooja Tolani for Raaza, while the IDPA Award for Best Student Film was presented to Milan Kumar for The Old Bull Knows, or Once Knew.
MIFF 2026 witnessed significant international participation, receiving 1,459 film entries from across the globe. The Competition Section featured 144 films, including 52 international and 92 national entries representing 13 countries.
The Non-Competition Section showcased 202 films from 46 countries across 24 curated segments, including Mosaic, Best of Fest, Busan Next Wave, Oscar Winners, Raimund Krumme Retrospective, NFDC Showcase, Echoes from North East, Marathi Films, and IFFI CMOT.
With its strong global participation, curated programming, and recognition of diverse storytelling voices, MIFF 2026 concluded as a vibrant celebration of cinematic excellence, cultural exchange, and the enduring power of documentary, animation, and short fiction filmmaking
