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The five-day Expo, running from 26-30 August, connects filmmakers, creators, startups, investors, artists and industry leaders on a common platform.

The opening ceremony brought together Vindu Dara Singh, Mentor & Curator, Film Expo India; Sandeep Marwah, President, ICMEI & Chancellor, AAFT University; Nandita Das; Pankaj Parashar; Vivek Vaswani; Gautam Shah, former Mayor of Gandhinagar; Balbir Singh Randhawa; Krishan Kumar, DGM, ITPO; Sagoon Wagh and Jeet Wagh of Ideabaaz; Rahul Nehra, and the organising team led by Mukesh Kumar, Jyoti Yadav and Madhuri Yadav of Exhobuzz.

A key highlight was "The Next 5000 Screens," moderated by Ashish Singh of ABP News, featuring Chandran Rutnam, Nandita Das, Pankaj Parashar, Rahul Rawail and Rahul Nehra. The panel explored the future of cinema, changing audiences, emerging screens and new storytelling formats.

The day also featured a special session with Rajesh Tailang, and an interaction with Vindu Dara Singh, Gurucharan Singh Sodhi, Brijendra Kala and Jeet Wagh. "From Storytelling to Success: The Role of Marketing in Entertainment", led by Pallavi Chaturvedi of Khushi Advertising/Khushi Flix, explored the growing role of marketing in the entertainment business.

The Ideabaaz Pavilion emerged as a major attraction for the startup and investment ecosystem, with conversations featuring Addison Appu, Karan Mittal, Pranav Obhrai, Amit Singal and Dr. Vibhuti Aggarwal, along with a fireside conversation featuring Mudit Kumar, Jeet Wagh and Jivraj Singh Sachar. The programme also included interactions featuring Kiran Chopra of Punjab Kesari and Swati Munjal.

Sustainability took centre stage with "Clean Tech & Circular Econon Profitability Meets Planetary Impact," featuring Dia Mirza, Pavan Rajkumar, Lalit Singh and Kaushik Chandrashekhar of UNEP, moderated by Chhaya Joshi.

Running parallel to Film Expo India is the International Art Exposition - "Beyond the Canvas," bringing together 12+ galleries across nearly 10,000 sq. metres and showcasing contemporary, tribal, traditional, digital and experimental art.

The exhibition floor further brings together the filmmaking and creative-technology ecosystem, spanning cameras, production technology, content creation and emerging creative tools, with participation from brands including Sony and DJI, among others.

The opening day concluded on a musical high with The Bhajan Clubbing Night, featuring performances by Malini Awasthi, Jonny Sufi and Anup Jalota, blending traditional devotional music with a contemporary live experience.

Film Expo India 2026 continues until August 30 at Bharat Mandapam, with industry conversations, masterclasses, screenings, Al and technology showcases, startup and investor interactions, art experiences and live performances.