Guwahati Asian Film Festival 2025 kicks off with a grand opening
The three-day event includes screenings, discussions and industry collaborations.;
Jyoti Chitraban (Photo: @JChitraban / X)
Guwahati, Feb 8: The inaugural edition of the Guwahati Asian Film Festival (GAFF) 2025 began in a grand style at Jyoti Chitraban Film Studio on Friday.
The three-day event was officially inaugurated in the evening, marking an exciting showcase of films, discussions, and industry collaborations.
Iranian film ‘In the Arms of the Tree’ by Babak Khajehpasha was the opening film. Other films showcased throughout the day were ‘A Lab Story’ by Carlo Obispo, ‘Amatuers’ by Dhiraj Kashyap, ‘Ata Nirjon Duporiya’ by Khanjan Kishore Nath, ‘Captain’ by Mohammad Hamzei, ‘The Stranger’ by Biplob Sarkar, ‘Not What You Think’ by Vuslat Saracoglu and ‘House’ by Jamshid Narzikulov.
The inaugural session saw the participation of acclaimed Sri Lankan filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage, Indian theatre and film actor Sheeba Chaddha, among other dignitaries.
A discussion session on "The Future of North East India Cinema: Challenges, Opportunities and Global Prospects' was conducted wherein critic-filmmaker Utpal Datta and Sibanu Bora, and filmmakers Kangkan Deka and Deep Chodhury shared their insights. The session was moderated by film critic Dipsikha Bhagawati. Later, actor Sheeba Chaddha shared her insights from her cinematic journey, reflecting on the evolving landscape of Indian cinema and nuances of character-driven storytelling. In the special 'Meet the Guest' interaction presented by filmmaker Prerana Barbarooah, she also emphasized the importance of diverse narratives and her take on various characters.
Speaking about the festival, honorary festival director Monita Borgohain said, "Our vision is to establish Guwahati as a hub for Asian cinema, fostering collaborations and bringing diverse cinematic voices to the forefront."
GAFF 2025 will feature a curated selection of 25 feature films from over 200 submissions from across Asia, representing countries such as Iran, Nepal, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Azerbaijan, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Turkey.
