Jul 24, 2026 1:07pm IST
NAFA Film Festival: Marathi Cinema Takes Center Stage as ‘Tu Mi Ani Amayra’, ‘Na Aavadati Goshta’, ‘Dwidha’, ‘Paro’ and ‘Frame’ Eye World Premieres
The North American Film Association’s 3rd NAFA Film Festival is all set to break ground soon. At the upcoming film festival, five Marathi feature films will make their world premieres alongside 11 award-winning short films.
“Tu Mi Ani Amayra,” “Na Aavadati Goshta,” “Dwidha,” “Paro” and “Frame” are the five full-length feature films that will be making their way to the historic California Theatre in San Jose, California. The NAFA Film Festival will be held from August 7–9, 2026. The North American Film Association (NAFA) has joined hands with the Government of Maharashtra to bring forth new projects for Marathi audiences and global film enthusiasts.
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It will also introduce 11 new short films at the market. These include “Brahmakamal,” “Butterscotch,” “Ek Suvarna Pravas,” “Hyphen,” “Undocumented,” “Panha,” “H-1B or Not To Be,” “Babanrao in Love with Ella” and “Keki”.
Among these, “Undocumented.pdf” is a NAFA-produced short film based on the highly relevant and sensitive issue of immigration in the United States. Abhijeet Gholap, the Founder and President of NAFA, says, “We received a record number of film submissions this year from India, the United States, and several other countries, making the final selection process highly competitive. Every film was evaluated not only for its entertainment value but also for its emotional impact, cinematic excellence, thematic strength, and its ability to connect with global audiences."
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He talks about the criterion used for evaluating this year’s lineup, "The jury assessed every film based on six major criteria—overall impact, direction, screenplay, editing, performances, and cinematography. Special attention was given to whether a film inspires thought, creates an emotional connection, demonstrates originality in direction, presents a compelling screenplay, maintains an engaging narrative through editing, delivers authentic performances, and enriches storytelling through visual excellence.
The awards that will be announced at the film festival include, Best Three Indian Short Films, Best Three U.S. Short Films, Best Indian Feature Film, Best International Feature Film and Best Three Vertical Microdramas.
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