The 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) concluded yesterday in Goa with a high-profile closing ceremony attended by dignitaries, including Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and festival chairperson Shekhar Kapur.
Top Award Winners Announced
The prestigious Golden Peacock for Best Feature Film went to the Vietnamese drama Skin of Youth, directed by Ashleigh Mayfair, for its compelling storytelling on the global cinema stage.
Skin of Youth explores the intense romance between San, a transgender sex worker saving for gender-affirming surgery, and Nam, her cage-fighting lover in 1990s Saigon. Their desperate fight against dark forces tests their bond and humanity, earning the Golden Peacock for its raw emotional power.
Other Key Highlights:
- ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal: Norwegian film Safe House by Eirik Svensson, portraying a Doctors Without Borders facility in conflict zones.
- Silver Peacock Best Actor: Ubeimar Rios for A Poet (Colombia).
- Best Indian Debut Director: Karan Singh Tyagi’s Kesari Chapter 2.
- Best OTT Series: Bandish Bandits Season 2 by Anand Tiwari.
The jury praised Safe House for its authentic portrayal of moral courage and humanitarianism amid conflict, transcending cultural boundaries with emotional depth. Grounded in true events, its real-time narrative explores aid workers’ ethical dilemmas, universal compassion, and the sanctity of human life—bolstered by restrained suspense and Kristine Kujath Thorp’s lead performance, which secured the ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal.
🏅 Safe House directed by Eirik Svensson wins the prestigious ICFT-@UNESCO Gandhi Medal at #IFFI2025!#IFFI56 #IFFIGoa @IndiainNorway pic.twitter.com/kVrpkI4lZG
— PIB in Goa 🇮🇳 (@PIB_Panaji) November 28, 2025
Celebrity Moments & Festival Impact
South superstar Rajinikanth received the Lifetime Achievement Award for five decades in cinema, sharing family photos pre-event. Ranveer Singh teased his next project, Dhurandhar, during the festivities.
Over 240 films from 81 countries screened, with Film Bazaar deals exceeding Rs 1,050 crore and new AI film segments introduced—cementing IFFI’s role in India’s cinematic growth.
Earlier, Thailand’s A Useful Ghost, which is its official Oscar entry and Cannes Grand Prix winner, delivered a memorable finale to IFFI 2025’s International Section. The whimsical, melancholic tale of a grieving husband discovering his deceased wife reincarnated as a vacuum cleaner blends social commentary and humor.
Director Ratchapoom Boonbunchachoke, Associate Producer Tanade Amornpiyalerk, Actor Wisarut Homhuan, and Cinematographer Song Pasit unpacked its strange, tender universe at the press conference.
