GAFF 2026 begins with celebration of Asian & Indian cinema in Guwahati

Guwahati, Jan 23: The second edition of the Guwahati Asian Film Festival, popularly known as GAFF, opened on Thursday at Jyoti Chitraban, celebrating the richness of Asian and Indian cinema. A total of 26 curated films will be screened over four days.

The inaugural ceremony was held in the presence of eminent filmmakers, guests and delegates. The festival is being organised by Trending Now Media with support from the National Film Development Corporation and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

The opening ceremony was attended by chief guest Padma Shri Girish Kasaravalli, the award-winning filmmaker. Other guests included renowned filmmaker and film critic Christopher Dalton, filmmakers Manju Borah and Anupama Bose, journalist Shashwati Goswami, and festival director Monita Borgohain.

GAFF 2026 opened with the Uzbekistan feature film Sunday, directed by Shokir Kholikov. The opening day also featured the India premiere of the Japanese film S by Masahiro Ota in the Asian Cinema section, and An Evening Ballad by Bishal Swargiary in the Indian Showcase non-competition section.

On Friday, the second day of the festival will showcase six films, including the Karbi film The Lost Path (Kangbo Aloti) by Khanjan Kishore Nath, Assamese film Morning Sunshine (Rador Pakhi) by Bobby Sarma Baruah, Cu Li Never Cries by Pham Ngoc Lan from Vietnam, Assamese film The Woodcutter (Gos Kota Manuh) by Prakesh Deka, and Manipuri film Phouoibee (The Goddess of Paddy) by Rakesh Moirangthem.

The second edition of GAFF will continue till January 25 at Jyoti Chitraban, showcasing regional, national and international films from 10 Asian countries.

Apart from film screenings, GAFF 2026 will also feature masterclasses, panel discussions and interactive sessions led by filmmakers, critics and industry professionals from India and other Asian countries.

By

Staff Reporter