Guwahati, Jan 23 (IANS) The second day of the 2026 edition of the Guwahati Asian Film Festival (GAFF) at Jyoti Chitraban built on the momentum of its opening day, witnessing houseful screenings and strong audience engagement, officials said on Friday.

According to an official statement, five films from Assam, Manipur and Vietnam were screened during the day, drawing enthusiastic footfall across categories. The festival celebrates the richness of Asian and Indian cinema through a curated lineup of 26 films screened over four days.

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

Meanwhile, on January 24 (Saturday), the third day of the festival will feature Assamese film ‘River Tales’ (Noi Kotha) by Dr Pankaj Borah, Marathi feature ‘Blossoming Almond’ by Nehal Ghodke, Malayalam film ‘Victoria’ by Sivaranjini, Tulu film ‘Imbu’ by Shivdhwaj Shetty, Bengali film ‘Parobasi’ (Ethnic Migration) by Monet Roy Saha, ‘Let’s Have a Cup of Doodh Patti Chai’ by Brian Hung (Hong Kong), ‘If Only I Could Hibernate’ by Zoljargal Purevdash (Mongolia), ‘A Poet of the River’ by Jungkook Han (South Korea), and Assamese film ‘Kok Kok Kokook’ by Maharshi Tuhin Kashyap.

The third day will also feature three engaging workshops, masterclasses and in-conversation sessions aimed at strengthening discussion on film culture in the region. A masterclass on ‘Ways of Sensing Cinema: Film Review and Appreciation’ by film critic Christopher Dalton will guide audiences on critical viewing and analysis.

Filmmaker Utpal Borpujari and filmmaker, educator and curator Anupama Bose will also lead a discussion on ‘Indie Films: How to Navigate Funds, Festivals and Futures’.

The second edition of GAFF will continue till January 25 at Jyoti Chitraban, Guwahati, showcasing 26 regional, national and international films from across 10 Asian countries.

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 Asian cinema to the Northeast and fostering sustained cross-border cultural exchange, the official release mentioned.

–IANS

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