THE High Commission of India, on Sunday, launched the second edition of the Indian Film Festival entitled, “Bollywood Bonanza” at Caribbean Cinema, Giftland Mall.
According to a press release, the inaugural event was attended by representatives from the Indian and Guyanese government, members of the Indian community and diaspora and film enthusiasts in large numbers.
Earlier this year, the Indian High Commission launched the first edition of the Indian film festival titled ‘Vasantotsav’.
It was welcomed by film aficionados in Guyana and received an unprecedented response prompting the High Commission to launch the second edition.
The present edition of the film festival would continue till March 2026, during which nearly eight famous movies would be screened at the Giftland and Amazonia Malls along with a few award-winning short films/documentaries produced by young and talented Guyanese filmmakers.
As part of the inaugural ceremony, a short documentary ‘Between Oceans’, produced and directed by Mr. Rae Wiltshire, was screened.
The documentary touched upon an important social issue of racial prejudice, underlining the need for creating awareness and promoting harmony in multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious societies.
Indian High Commissioner, Dr. Amit Telang and Ms. Sunalie Ragubar, Assistant Director of Tourism from the Ministry of Tourism, Commerce & Industry addressed the gathering, recognising the salience of Indian movies in entertainment as well as encouraging dialogue on relevant social themes.
The contribution of Indian films in showcasing Indian culture, promoting tourism celebrating the nations’ shared culture, heritage and traditions was also underlined by the speakers.
The opening ceremony was followed by screening of the blockbuster Bollywood movie ‘Jawan’ starring Shah Rukh Khan, which was widely appreciated by the audience.