Uzbek Feature Sunday To Kick Off Guwahati Asian Film Festival 2026

The second edition of the Guwahati Asian Film Festival (GAFF) will begin on a global note, with an Uzbek feature setting the tone for four days of Asian cinema in the Northeast. The festival is scheduled to be held from January 22 to 25 at the Jyoti Chitraban Film Studio in Guwahati.

Festival Director Monita Borgohain announced that the opening film of GAFF 2026 will be Sunday, directed by Shokir Kholikov. The announcement was made during a press conference in Guwahati, where organisers also revealed the full lineup for the upcoming edition.

The festival will conclude with the Iranian film In the Land of Brothers, directed by Alireza Ghasemi and Raha Amirfazli, Borgohain said.

“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. Bollywood and Marathi film actress Sonali Kulkarni will be the Special Invitee Guest for the closing ceremony,” Borgohain said.

GAFF 2026 will feature films from 10 Asian countries — Vietnam, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Myanmar, Iran, Kazakhstan and China — reflecting the festival’s growing international footprint.

Alongside international titles, the festival will showcase a wide range of Indian films in multiple languages, including Marathi, Bajjika, Malayalam, Hindi, Tulu, Nepali, Assamese, Karbi, Bodo, Mishing, Manipuri and Bengali. The selection aims to highlight the linguistic and cultural diversity of both the Northeast and the country at large.

In total, 26 films will be screened over the four-day event. This includes eight films in the competition section, along with several non-competition international features.

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

Positioned as the only Asian film festival of its kind in this region, GAFF has steadily built a presence in India’s cultural calendar by bringing regional and international cinema to the Northeast.

“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,” Borgohain said.

According to the organisers, the festival received over 200 film submissions, including 90 entries from outside India.

GAFF 2026 is being organised by Trending Now Media with support from the National Film Development Corporation and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.

The festival’s advisory board includes several prominent names from the film fraternity. Apart from Borgohain, who previously served as Festival Director of the Assam government-backed Guwahati International Film Festival, the board features film critic and festival advisor Srinivasa Santhanam, National Award-winning filmmaker Manju Borah, and film critic, music journalist and editor Christopher Dalton.

(With inputs from PTI)