Goa Chief Minister Dr. Pramod Sawant and Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting Dr. L. Murugan graced the ceremony, alongside an impressive lineup of celebrities including Rajinikanth, Ranveer Singh, Rishab Shetty, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Tovino Thomas, Vineet Singh, German actress Katharina Schüttler, Rajeshwari Sachdev, Ramesh Sippy, and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra.
Stars Shine on the Red Carpet
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Rishab Shetty and Ranveer Singh made striking appearances on the red carpet.
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Nawazuddin Siddiqui was also seen interacting warmly with fans.
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Festival Jury Chairperson Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra arrived with his wife, editor P.S. Bharathi.
Rajinikanth Receives Lifetime Achievement Honour
Superstar Rajinikanth was presented the Lifetime Achievement Award, commemorating his 50 remarkable years in Indian cinema. Arriving earlier in the day, he received a heartfelt welcome from hotel staff and fans.
A viral video from the venue showed him greeting fans with folded hands amid traditional music and cheers. His family joined him later for the evening ceremony.
Goa CM Pramod Sawant felicitated Rajinikanth with a shawl and memento, earning the star a standing ovation.
In his acceptance speech, Rajinikanth said:
“I stand here with humility and gratitude, thanking the Government of India for recognising my 50 years of work. Looking back, it feels like I’ve worked only 10–15 years, such is my love for cinema. Even after a hundred years, I would want to be reborn as an actor—as Rajinikanth. Thank you for your love and affection.”
Tributes to Industry Legends
The ceremony also paid homage to film icons who passed away this year. A special segment titled ‘In Fond Remembrance of the Artists We Lost’ honoured Dharmendra, Kamini Kaushal, Sulakshana Pandit, Satish Shah, Piyush Pandey, Zubin Garg, and Shyam Benegal.
IFFI 2025 Award Winners
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Golden Peacock (Best Film): Skin of Youth (Vietnam) – Director Ash Mayfair and actress Tran Quan accepted the award.
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Silver Peacock – Best Actor (Male): Ubaimar Rios for A Poet.
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Best Actress: Zara Sofija Ostan.
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Silver Peacock – Best Director: Santosh Dawakhare for the Marathi film Gondhal.
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Best Debut Director (Joint Winners): Hesam Farahmand (Iran) and Tonis Pill (Estonia).
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ICFT–UNESCO Gandhi Medal: Norwegian film Safe House for its powerful depiction of humanity and moral conflict.
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Special Jury Award: Akinola Davis Jr. for My Father’s Shadow.
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Indian Panorama 2025: Featured 25 feature films, 20 non-feature films, and 5 debut works.
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Best Debut Director (India): Karan Singh Tyagi for Kesari Chapter 2.
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OTT Category (Introduced First Time at IFFI 2025): Bandish Bandits Season 2 named Best Web Series.
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