Guwahati, Jan 22: The second edition of the Guwahati Asian Film Festival (GAFF) gets underway on January 22, reinforcing Guwahati’s growing reputation as a cultural crossroads for Asian cinema with a curated selection of 26 films from 10 countries. The four-day festival brings together regional, national and international voices, offering audiences in the Northeast rare access to a diverse range of contemporary Asian storytelling.
The festival opens with Sunday, an Uzbek feature directed by Shokir Kholikov, setting the tone for a programme that blends global perspectives with strong Indian narratives. The opening day also features the India premiere of Japanese film S by Masahiro Ota, along with An Evening Ballad by Bishal Swargiary, which will be screened in the Indian Showcase non-competition section.
Festival Director (honorary) Monita Borgohain said the expanded scale of GAFF 2026 reflects the encouraging response received during its inaugural edition. She noted that the festival continues to celebrate the diversity of Asian cinema, with increased participation from filmmakers outside the region, further strengthening its international character.
Over the course of the festival, films from Vietnam, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Hong Kong, Japan, Myanmar, Iran, Kazakhstan and China will be screened. Indian cinema will also feature prominently, with films in a wide array of languages including Marathi, Bajjika, Malayalam, Hindi, Tulu, Nepali, Assamese, Karbi, Bodo, Mising, Manipuri and Bengali, highlighting the depth of linguistic and cultural diversity within the country.
In addition to film screenings, GAFF 2026 will host masterclasses, panel discussions and interactive sessions involving filmmakers, critics and industry professionals from India and across Asia. Organisers said the final line-up was selected from more than 200 submissions, including 90 international entries, underscoring the festival’s growing stature. Positioned as the only Asian film festival of its kind in this region, GAFF has carved out a distinct place in India’s cultural calendar by bringing Asian cinema to the Northeast.
The festival is organised by Trending Now Media with support from the National Film Development Corporation and the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
