GAFF 2026 to open with Uzbek film 'Sunday'

Guwahati, Jan 5 (PTI) Shokir Kholikov-directed Uzbek film, 'Sunday', will be the opening cinema of the 2nd Guwahati Asian Film Festival (GAFF), scheduled from January 22, officials said on Monday.

The much-talked-about GAFF 2026 is set to take place on January 22-25, bringing together a dazzling array of cinematic brilliance from across Asia.

At a press conference here, the organisers unveiled the lineup of films for the second edition of the festival, to be held at Jyoti Chitraban Film Studio.

GAFF Festival Director Monita Borgohain said the opening film of the festival will be the Uzbekistan feature 'Sunday', directed by Shokir Kholikov.

The closing film will be the Iranian feature 'In the Land of Brothers', directed by Alireza Ghasemi and Raha Amirfazli, she added.

"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.

The second edition of GAFF will showcase films from 10 Asian countries -- Vietnam, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Myanmar, Iran, Kazakhstan and China.

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 four-day festival will screen a total of 26 films, including eight competition entries, alongside a strong slate of international titles, the Festival Director said.

"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," she added.

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 such regional but global 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.

The festival organisers received more than 200 film submissions, including 90 entries from outside India, she added.

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

Apart from Borgohain, who was the former Festival Director of the Assam government-sponsored Guwahati International Film Festival (GIFF), the Advisory Board boasts several distinguished members from the film fraternity.

Renowned film critic and festival advisor Srinivasa Santhanam, National Award-winning filmmaker Manju Borah, and prominent film critic, music journalist and editor Christopher Dalton are also part of the 2nd GAFF. PTI TR TR RG