GAFF 2026 set to light up Guwahati with Asian cinema from January 22

Guwahati, Jan 5: With Guwahati steadily carving out a space on India’s cultural map, the city is set for another cinematic spotlight moment.

The Guwahati Asian Film Festival (GAFF) returns with its second edition this January 22, promising four days of curated Asian cinema, conversations and creative exchange.

The organisers of GAFF 2026, on Monday, unveiled the much-awaited line-up of films for the second edition of the four-day festival, to be held at Jyoti Chitraban, GKahilipara till January 25.

The opening film of festival will be the Uzbekistan feature Sunday, directed by Shokir Kholikov, while the closing film will be the Iranian feature In the Land of Brothers, directed by Alireza Ghasemi and Raha Amirfazli.

This edition of the festival will be honoured by the presence of legendary Indian filmmaker Girish Kasaravalli, who will grace the festival as its Chief Guest, along with Bollywood and Marathi film actor Sonali Kulkarni as the Special Invited Guest for the closing ceremony.

The four-day festival will screen 26 films, including eight Competition entries, alongside a strong slate of international titles from 10 Asian countries, including Vietnam, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Myanmar, Iran, Kazakhstan, and China.

Alongside international selections, the festival will also present films from across India, with screenings in multiple languages such as Marathi, Bajjika, Malayalam, Hindi, Tulu, Nepali, Assamese, Karbi, Bodo, Mishing, Manipuri, and Bengali, highlighting the linguistic diversity of the region and the country.

The inaugural edition of GAFF, held in February 2025, left a strong impression on the film festival circuit, attracting vibrant participation from across several Asian countries.

Speaking on the occasion, Monita Borgohain, Honorary Festival Director of GAFF, said, “The overwhelming love we received from film lovers during our first edition inspired us to plan an even grander second edition. GAFF 2026 promises to be bigger and better, continuing its celebration of the rich diversity of Asian cinema, with more filmmakers from outside the region joining the event. We have received more than 200 film submissions, including 90 entries from outside India.”

In addition to film screenings, GAFF 2026 will feature a series of masterclasses, panel discussions, and interactive sessions led by filmmakers, critics, and industry professionals from India and other Asian countries.

These sessions aim to encourage deeper engagement with cinematic craft, storytelling traditions, and contemporary trends in Asian filmmaking.

Positioned as the only Asian film festival of its kind in this part of the country, GAFF has carved a unique space in India’s cultural landscape by bringing Asian cinema to the Northeast.

The festival is being organised by Trending Now Media, with support from the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.