Rima Das’s Not a Hero has won Best Indie Film at the 2026 Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM), where the film is having its Australian premiere. The award marks Das’s second Best Indie Film honour at IFFM, following Bulbul Can Sing in 2019.

The win comes as Not a Hero makes its Australian debut at the 17th edition of IFFM, which runs from August 13 to 23. The film was presented as the festival’s Centrepiece and Australian premiere.

Not a Hero previously had its world premiere at the 2026 Berlin International Film Festival, where it competed in Generation Kplus. It received a Special Mention from the Generation Kplus Children’s Jury, which recognised the film for its connection with young audiences.

The film follows 11-year-old Mivan, who is sent from the city to his family’s ancestral village, where he struggles to adapt to an unfamiliar environment and gradually forms new friendships. Das wrote and directed the film.

The IFFM win adds another international recognition to a film that has already established a strong festival run. At Berlin, the Children’s Jury Special Mention followed the film’s world premiere in the Generation Kplus competition.

For Das, the award also creates a direct link between two of her films at IFFM. Bulbul Can Sing won Best Indie Film at the 2019 festival, making Not a Hero her second film to receive the honour.

Full list of IFFM 2026 winners

  • Best Film — Lokah Chapter 1: Chandra
  • Best Film, Special Mention — The Great Shamshuddin Family
  • Best Indie Film — Not a Hero, Rima Das
  • Special Mention, Indie Film — Kikkran De Phull (Flowers of Acacia)
  • Best Director — Rishab Shetty, Kantara: A Legend - Chapter 1
  • Best Actor — Dulquer Salmaan, Kaantha
  • Best Actress — Kirti Kulhari, Full Plate
  • Best Film from the Subcontinent — No Good Men, Shahrbanoo Sadat
  • Best Documentary Film — Flying Tigers, Madhushree Dutta
  • People’s Choice Award — Saiyaara
  • Equality in Cinema Award, presented by La Trobe — Sitaare Zameen Par
  • Special Mention, Equality in Cinema — Simran Mangeshkar, Sitaare Zameen Par
  • Rainbow Storyteller Award — Lala and Poppy
  • Short Film Competition, Australia — The Weight of Soil
  • Short Film Competition, India — Jo’s Turn
  • Best Actor, Series — Vijay Varma, Matka King
  • Best Actress, Series — Rasika Dugal, Delhi Crime 3
  • Best Series — Freedom At Midnight, Season 2
  • Artist of Distinction — Pankaj Tripathi
  • Special Recognition — Rani Mukerji, 30 Years
  • Leadership in Cinema — Rishab Shetty
  • Excellence in Cinema — Rekha