Edinburgh Indian Film Festival brings seven films to Filmhouse for December 2026
Edinburgh filmgoers are being invited to discover stories from across India for a three-day festival.
Seven feature films will be shown with English subtitles at Filmhouse, from Friday 4 to Sunday 6 December 2026. Tickets are available free of charge,
The programme brings together sporting biopics, political comedy and drama exploring education, community and women’s lives.
Organised by the Consulate General of India, Edinburgh, in association with Filmhouse and Momentum Films, the Indian Film Festival is coming to Edinburgh for the first time after its inaugural edition at Glasgow Film Theatre in 2025.
Friday December 4
The opening film has a connection that will be familiar to Scottish sports fans. Dangal, screening at 7pm on Friday, stars Aamir Khan as Mahavir Singh Phogat, the father who trained his daughters Geeta and Babita to become international wrestlers. Babita won Commonwealth gold in Glasgow in 2014.
Marking its tenth anniversary, Nitesh Tiwari’s 2016 film explores family ambition and the barriers faced by women in sport. Its place in the programme also reflects the sporting links between Scotland and India, following Glasgow’s hosting of the 2026 Commonwealth Games and ahead of the centenary Games in Ahmedabad, also known as Amdavad, in 2030.
Indian filmmakers have been using Scottish locations for decades. VisitScotland says more than 100 Bollywood productions have been filmed across the country over the past 30 years.
Scotland holds a special place in this cinematic connection, with films such as Kuch Kuch Hota Hai bringing its landscapes and historic landmarks to Indian audiences. We are delighted to partner with Filmhouse to bring Indian stories to audiences in Edinburgh.
Saturday December 5
Saturday’s programme opens at 12.50pm with Amma Kanakku, a Tamil-language drama about a mother who returns to the classroom to encourage her daughter’s education. Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s 2016 film also marks its tenth anniversary.
At 3.05pm, Newton follows a government official overseeing an election in a remote and politically volatile part of India. Amit V. Masurkar’s black comedy was India’s submission for the foreign-language film category at the 2018 Academy Awards.
The Saturday screenings conclude at 5pm with Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s biographical drama about athlete Milkha Singh, known as the Flying Sikh. The film is inspired by Singh’s autobiography, The Race of My Life.
Sunday December 6
Sunday begins at 1pm with Boomba Ride, a Mishing-language film from Assam in north-east India. Directed by Biswajeet Bora, it centres on the only pupil at a struggling school and the efforts to keep it open.
At 2.45pm, audiences can see a restored, colourised version of Mughal-e-Azam, K. Asif’s 1960 historical epic about a prince’s love for a court dancer and the conflict it provokes. The screening offers a chance to experience its courtly spectacle on the big screen.
The festival closes at 6.30pm with Hellaro, a Gujarati drama set among women living in the Rann of Kutch in the 1970s. Abhishek Shah’s National Film Award-winning film uses Garba, the region’s traditional dance, in a story of community and personal freedom.
Andrew Simpson, Filmhouse’s Executive Director, said: “The scale, ambition and diversity of Indian film make it one of the most exciting national cinema cultures in the world.”
Organisers intend the festival to become an annual event, with a further edition planned for September 2027. This December’s screenings are open to film lovers from all backgrounds, offering Scottish audiences several different ways to encounter India through its cinema.
Readers are invited to explore the programme and plan their visit to Filmhouse. For full listings and booking updates, visit www.filmhouse.org.uk/indian-film-festival . Tickets for all seven screenings are free. For direct bookings, please contact Filmhouse on 0131 380 5280 or visit in person.