Stuttgart Festival to Showcase Malayalam Cinema from Kerala
The 23rd Stuttgart Indian Film Festival will take place from July 23 to 26, 2026, in Stuttgart, Germany. Organized by Filmbüro Baden-Württemberg, the festival will present more than 70 feature films, short films and documentaries.
This year’s program focuses on Malayalam-language cinema from Kerala, also known as Mollywood. The festival is adjusting to a four-day schedule due to reduced funding from the City of Stuttgart.
The event opens on July 23 with the thriller Eko From the Infinite Chronicles of Kuriachan by Dinjith Ayyathan. A school screening of Varsha Bharath’s drama Bad Girl is also scheduled for opening day.
The lineup includes Rajesh Madhavan’s comedy Pennum Porattum – Girl and the Fools’ Parade, Dominiv Arun’s fantasy film Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra, Emcy Joseph’s survival thriller Meesha Moustache, and Khalid Rahman’s boxing drama Alappuzha Gymkhana.
The documentary program features Haider Khan’s Saath Paar Zindagi Life Beyond 60, which profiles five women who received the Padma Shri award. Stuttgart-based filmmaker Shammi Singh will present Lives for Leaves Tea Production in Assam_ on working conditions in Assam’s tea plantations.
LGBTQIA+ titles in the program include Onir’s short film Tumhari Khushboo Your Fragrance, Chandradeep Das’ Jasmine That Blooms in Autumn, and the documentary Bride of Aravan by Lesley Branagan and Yatra Srinivassan.
All films will be shown in their original languages with English subtitles. Films nominated for the German Star of India award include Bad Girl, Kangbo Aloti The Lost Path, The Audition,The Great Shamsuddin Family, Nevermind, and Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra.
Partners of the festival include Haus der Geschichte Baden-Württemberg, Lindenmuseum Stuttgart, Stuttgart Pride, and Stuttgart City Centre Cinemas. The event is funded by the City of Stuttgart and the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts.
