Sri Vijaya Puram, May 21: The Directorate of Information, Publicity and Tourism of the Andaman and Nicobar Administration, in collaboration with the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), will organise the “Chalchitra Andaman Nicobar Film Festival – 2026” in Sri Vijaya Puram from May 22 to June 13.
The month-long festival will be held every Friday and Saturday at the Anthropological Auditorium and is being positioned by the Administration as a major cultural and tourism initiative aimed at promoting cinema, creative engagement and the tourism potential of the Islands.
Officials stated that the festival seeks to showcase the natural beauty and cultural heritage of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands while also encouraging film appreciation and nurturing local creative talent through screenings, workshops and interactive sessions with filmmakers.
The opening week of the festival will feature screenings of several acclaimed and award-winning Indian films.
The festival will commence on May 22 with the screening of Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, the satirical cult classic directed by Kundan Shah.
On May 23, audiences will be able to watch Salaam Bombay!, the internationally acclaimed film directed by Mira Nair, during the first show scheduled in the morning.
Later the same evening, the festival will screen RRR, the blockbuster period action film directed by S S Rajamouli, which gained global recognition for its large-scale production and award-winning music.
Officials said the festival has been designed not only as an entertainment platform but also as a learning space for aspiring filmmakers, photographers, content creators and students from the Islands.
As part of the festival, a series of free short filmmaking workshops will be conducted before movie screenings on selected days.
The first workshop, scheduled on May 23, will be led by filmmaker Samhita Veda Acharya and will focus on guerrilla filmmaking, concept-to-screen processes, directing basics, cinematography techniques, visual narrative styles and camera composition.
The session will also include practical demonstrations, interactive discussions and film clip analysis exercises for participants.
Further workshops on May 29 and May 30 will be conducted by Mumbai-based filmmakers Shivangi Singh and Rahul Kale.
These sessions will cover subjects such as visual storytelling, grammar of cinema, active film observation, film analysis, structure and appreciation. Screening-based reflection exercises and interactive discussions are also planned as part of the workshop series.
The Directorate stated that the remaining film screening schedule and workshop details would be announced shortly.
Officials said registrations for movie screenings and workshops would be facilitated through online Google Forms and QR codes, which would be circulated through official platforms and social media handles of the Directorate.
The Administration has invited students, local filmmakers, photographers, drone operators, travel vloggers, theatre groups, film clubs, social media influencers, tourists and members of the public to participate in the festival activities.
The initiative is also being viewed as part of broader efforts by the Administration to develop cultural tourism and creative industries in the Islands, alongside conventional tourism promotion activities.
Officials believe that hosting film festivals and cinema-related events could help position the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as an emerging destination for cultural and cinematic engagement in the region.
The festival is expected to draw participation from cinema enthusiasts, students and creative professionals while offering audiences access to landmark films from Indian cinema alongside practical exposure to filmmaking techniques and visual storytelling.
