American Marathi audiences thoroughly enjoyed the celebration of Marathi cinema!Pledge to expand ‘NAFA’ with renewed enthusiasm to more countries next year.
30 July,2025:
The NAFA Film Festival 2025 was a grand success, thanks to the overwhelming response from Marathi enthusiasts across the U.S. and Canada. Over 2,500 attendees gathered at The California Theater to enjoy this cinematic celebration. Abhijit Gholap, Founder and President of NAFA, described the three-day festival as a “Diwali of entertainment.”
The opening day featured a glamorous red carpet followed by the grand Film Awards Night. Artists from Maharashtra were honored with various awards, and the prestigious NAFA Lifetime Achievement Award was conferred upon veteran actor Amol Palekar.
The second day began with a powerful keynote speech by actor Sachin Khedekar. His candid address tackled pressing questions about the current state of Marathi cinema — why there is concern about its future, and who is responsible for the recent lack of success. He presented data to support his views and emphasized how platforms like NAFA can play a key role in reversing the decline.
Films screened during the festival included “Muktai” directed by Digpal Lanjekar and “Snowflower” by Gajendra Ahire, along with three short films produced by NAFA. A special Meet & Greet session with Sonali Kulkarni, Swapnil Joshi, and Vaidehi Parashurami saw an enthusiastic turnout. Through interactive workshops, audiences and artists had a chance to connect directly — Ashwini Bhave and Avadhoot Gupte hosted insightful sessions based on their experiences, while Prasad Phanse and Rohan Phanse conducted an informative dubbing workshop.
One of the festival’s highlights was the U.S. release of Amol Palekar’s autobiography “Aevaj” and its English translation “Viewfinder” on NAFA’s platform. Following the release, Vikram Watve conducted an interview with Amol Palekar and Sandhya Gokhale, in which American cricketer Saurabh Netravalkar was a special guest.
The second day began with a moment of honor as U.S. Congressman Shri Thanedar presented a Congressional Recognition to NAFA, received by Abhijit Gholap on stage. This was followed by the screening of three new short films. Afterward, Dr. Gauri Gholap held a discussion with the directors of previously screened shorts — Shrimirjkar (Yogayog), Harsh Mahadeshwar (Submission), and Sandeep Karanjkar (The Girl with the Red Hat).
Awards in the Student Supporting category were presented to the following short films:
- Best Short Film: Dumpyard
- Best Screenplay: Durva Nandapurkar (Bhangi)
- Best Cinematography: Bhushan Pal (Dumpyard)
- Best Editing: Ruchir Kulkarni (Changing Room)
- Special Mention: Prafulla Kharkar (Biryani), Gargi Khode (Submission)
Later, screenings of “Chhabila” directed by Anil Bhalerao and “Ravsaheb” by Nikhil Mahajan took place. Masterclasses by Sonali Kulkarni, Swapnil Joshi, Sachin Khedekar, and Dr. Mohan Agashe were very well received by the audience.
A panel discussion followed, focusing on the topic “Marathi Cinema – Present, Future & Path Ahead”, with speakers Madhur Bhandarkar, Avadhoot Gupte, Dr. Mohan Agashe, Gajendra Ahire, Swapnil Joshi, Sonali Kulkarni, and Adinath Kothare. The session was moderated by Vaidehi Parashurami.
During the closing ceremony, NAFA President Abhijit Gholap, along with Archana Saraf, Riya Thosar, Anup Nimkar, Laxman Apte, Vrushali Malpekar, Mansi Devlekar, and other NAFA members, engaged warmly with the audience. Gholap also shared the vision for the future of NAFA — new countries to explore, fresh initiatives to introduce, and the next steps for the movement.
