India's Consulate in Seattle organises 1st Indian film festival in Montana; Maha Kumbh also highlighted

Seattle/New York: In a first, an Indian film festival was organised in the western US state of Montana, showcasing India's cultural diversity through cinema to a diverse gathering of students participating in an annual conference that also included presentations on the recently concluded Maha Kumbh.

The Consulate General of India in Seattle, in partnership with the nonprofit organisation Montana World Affairs Council, organised the first 'Festival of Indian Cinema' at the University of Montana in Missoula from March 2-4.

Over 500 students from 33 schools participating in the Montana Academic World Quest 2025 attended the gala, which featured screenings of films such as "English Vinglish", "Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara" and "Raksha Bandhan" at the University Center Theater of University of Montana.

The opening ceremony of the film festival was attended by Consul General of India in Seattle Prakash Gupta; Mayor of Helena, Wilmot Collins; and World Affairs Council Executive Director Nikki Geiszler.

The film festival "aimed to provide high school and university students from Montana with a better understanding of the richness and cultural diversity of India through the medium of Indian cinema," according to a press release issued on Tuesday by the Consulate General of India in Seattle.

The Consulate noted that India was the 'Theme Country' of this year's Academic World Quest, which is an annual, multi-day conference providing an immersive global experience to high school students from all over Montana and hosted by the Montana World Affairs Council.

On the sidelines of the Academic World Quest, interactive sessions on Indian classical dance and music, along with presentations on India's Digital Payments Platforms and the recently concluded Maha Kumbh were also organised at the University of Montana in Missoula. Winning students of this year's India Theme Country Academic World Quest are likely to visit India later this year, the release further stated.

As per information on the Montana World Affairs Council's website, since 2005, Academic World Quest has provided over 4,000 Montana students with an immersive global experience and the opportunity to engage in a wide range of interactive, international education programs. The programme is widely recognised as one of the nation's best: being the largest in the country and the only multi-day conference.