The NAFA Film Festival 2025 was a grand success, receiving an overwhelming response from Marathi enthusiasts across the United States and Canada. Over 2,500 attendees gathered at The California Theatre to enjoy this three-day cinematic celebration. Festival founder and NAFA President, Abhijit Gholap, expressed that this event truly felt like a “Diwali of Entertainment.”
On the first day, a glamorous red-carpet ceremony marked the beginning of the Film Awards Night. Artists from Maharashtra were honored with various awards, and the prestigious NAFA Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to veteran actor Amol Palekar.
The second day began with the main film screenings, inaugurated by actor Sachin Khedekar, whose keynote speech stood out for its honest and bold reflections. He addressed pressing questions like: Why is the current state of Marathi cinema as it is? Why is there growing criticism? Who is responsible for its decline? He backed his points with data and statistics, analyzing reasons behind the recent underperformance of Marathi films. He also spoke in detail about how organizations like NAFA could play a pivotal role in changing the scenario.
The screenings included “Sant Dnyaneshwaranchi Muktai” directed by Digpal Lanjekar and “Snowflower” by Gajendra Ahire, along with three short films produced by NAFA. A special Meet and Greet was arranged for fans with Sonali Kulkarni, Swapnil Joshi, and Vaidehi Parashurami, which received a warm and enthusiastic response.
Workshops provided a direct platform for interaction between audiences and artists. Ashwini Bhave and Avadhoot Gupte conducted sessions based on their professional experiences, while Prasad Phanse and Rohan Phanse led a dedicated workshop on dubbing, which proved to be highly informative for the participants.
A major highlight of the event was the American release of Amol Palekar’s autobiography ‘Aevaj’ and its English translation ‘Viewfinder’ on NAFA’s platform. After the launch, Vikram Watve interviewed Amol Palekar and Sandhya Gokhale. U.S. cricketer Saurabh Netravalkar was also present for the occasion.
The second day began with a special moment when the U.S. Congress honored NAFA with a certificate of recognition, which was presented on-stage by Shri Thanedar to Abhijit Gholap.
This was followed by the screening of three new short films, and a panel discussion featuring the directors of short films shown the previous day: Shrimirjkar (Yogayog), Harsh Mahadeshwar (Submission), and Sandeep Karanjkar (The Girl with the Red Hat), moderated by Dr. Gauri Gholap.
Awards in the Student Supporting category were then presented as follows:
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Best Short Film: Dumpyard
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Best Screenplay: Bhangi – Durva Nandapurkar
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Best Cinematography: Dumpyard – Bhushan Pal
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Best Editing: Changing Room – Ruchir Kulkarni
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Special Mention: Biryani – Prafulla Kharkar
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Special Mention: Submission – Gargi Khode
Later, Chhabila directed by Anil Bhalerao and Raosaheb directed by Nikhil Mahajan were screened. Masterclasses by Sonali Kulkarni, Swapnil Joshi, Sachin Khedekar, and Dr. Mohan Agashe were deeply appreciated by the audience.
A thought-provoking panel discussion titled “Marathi Cinema – Present, Future, and the Road Ahead” featured insights from Madhur Bhandarkar, Avadhoot Gupte, Dr. Mohan Agashe, Gajendra Ahire, Swapnil Joshi, Sonali Kulkarni, and Adinath Kothare, and was moderated by Vaidehi Parashurami.
At the Closing Ceremony, NAFA President Abhijit Gholap, along with Archana Saraf, Riya Thosar, Anup Nimkar, Laxman Apte, Vrushali Malpekar, Mansi Devlekar, and other NAFA team members engaged directly with the audience. Gholap shared insights about what’s planned for the next NAFA edition, potential new countries to explore, and the future direction of this grand initiative.
