Guwahati: 2nd edition of GAFF to showcase Asian cinema from Jan 22

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The Guwahati Asian Film Festival (GAFF) is set to return with its second edition from January 22 to January 25, 2026, promising four days of curated Asian cinema, creative exchange and engaging conversations. The organizers on Monday officially unveiled the line-up of films for the much-anticipated festival, to be held at Jyoti Chitraban.

The opening film of GAFF 2026 will be the Uzbekistan feature Sunday, directed by Shokir Kholikov, while the festival will conclude with the Iranian feature In the Land of Brothers, directed by Alireza Ghasemi and Raha Amirfazli. Adding to the prestige of the event, renowned Indian filmmaker Girish Kasaravalli will attend as the chief guest, and acclaimed Bollywood and Marathi film actor Sonali Kulkarni will be the special invited guest at the closing ceremony.

This year’s edition will screen 26 films, including eight entries in the competition section, along with a strong slate of international films from 10 Asian countries—Vietnam, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Myanmar, Iran, Kazakhstan and China. The festival will also feature a diverse selection of Indian films in multiple languages, including Marathi, Bajjika, Malayalam, Hindi, Tulu, Nepali, Assamese, Karbi, Bodo, Mishing, Manipuri and Bengali, highlighting the country’s rich linguistic and cultural diversity.

Recalling the success of the inaugural edition held in February 2025, which drew enthusiastic participation from several Asian countries, GAFF organizers expressed confidence in an expanded and more vibrant second edition. Monita Borgohain, Honorary Festival Director of GAFF, said the response to the first edition inspired the team to scale up the festival. “GAFF 2026 promises to be bigger and better, continuing its celebration of the rich diversity of Asian cinema. We received more than 200 film submissions, including 90 entries from outside India,” she said. Beyond film screenings, GAFF 2026 will host masterclasses, panel discussions and interactive sessions conducted by filmmakers, critics and industry professionals from India and across Asia. These programmes aim to foster meaningful dialogue on cinematic craft, storytelling traditions and emerging trends in Asian filmmaking.

Positioned as the only Asian film festival of its kind in the Northeast, GAFF continues to carve a distinctive space in India’s cultural landscape by bringing Asian cinema closer to the region. The festival is organized by Trending Now Media with support from the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.

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