Lucknow: The fourth season of the Lucknow Film Festival and Imaginarium 2026 concluded at SRS Cinemas, Gomti Nagar, after two days of screenings, masterclasses, panel discussions and awards celebrating cinema, animation, gaming and emerging technologies.
Organised in collaboration with Uttar Pradesh Tourism, BBD Educational Group and SRS Cinemas, the festival brought together filmmakers, artists, educators, gaming professionals and technology experts, reinforcing Lucknow’s growing presence in the creative and media entertainment industries.
The second day opened with an inaugural session attended by Chief Guest Major General Gautam Gupta, Additional Director General of the NCC Directorate, Uttar Pradesh, along with animation filmmaker Vaibhav Kumaresh, APAR Games CEO and co-founder Huzaifa Arab, and game developer Lakshmi Khanolkar.
The morning programme featured AI-assisted and animation-based short films, including Spring in a Bottle, Trading Cards, Until Can Fly and The Bridge. Rajesh Bhatia and Bharat Arora conducted a masterclass titled ‘AI: The New Canvas’, exploring the possibilities of artificial intelligence in filmmaking. Films developed during the AI hackathon were also screened.
Renuka Tandon, director of the Lucknow Film Festival and Imaginarium 2026, said the Lucknow Film Forum, an initiative of the Amren Foundation, aims to connect traditional cinema with technology-driven storytelling while encouraging creative expression. The initiative also seeks to strengthen Uttar Pradesh’s media and entertainment ecosystem.
Representing the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, Santosh Ojha appreciated the festival’s curation and its efforts to bring conventional storytelling and contemporary cinematic techniques together on a common platform.
The afternoon programme featured a special screening of international animated films under the ‘Best of Polish Animation’ package, followed by an interactive discussion. Kumaresh conducted a masterclass on Return to the Jungle, sharing insights into the film’s creative and technical processes.
A panel discussion, ‘Level Up: The Future of Gaming’, brought together Kirit Khurana, Huzaifa Arab, Lakshmi Radhawa, Salman Arshad, vice-president of engineering at Hyperzod Technologies, and Renuka Tandon. The discussion examined the potential of the gaming industry, the ‘Create in India’ initiative and emerging opportunities in interactive entertainment.
International Films and Creative Talent Honoured
The awards ceremony recognised achievements across international cinema, animation, AI-assisted filmmaking and other creative disciplines. Partner organisations and contributors, including representatives of Uttar Pradesh Tourism and SRS Cinemas, were also acknowledged.
Adam Sazudrich received the Best Critics Award for Slow Dating, while Andrea won the Best Documentary Award for Cartapesta. Radhey Jang received the Best Animation Award for Trading Cards. Spring in a Bottle was named Best AI-Assisted Film, with Let’s Play Ball securing the first runner-up position.
Ignacio won Best International Direction for Alfresco, while Gianluca received Best International Editing for Lacaryo. The team behind Mahroh was recognised for Best Screenplay, and the creators of Killing a Traitor won Best Sound Design.
Hugo Martens received the Best Actor award for Blanchet and the Eight Saints, while Maria was named Best Actress for her performance in Matka. Among the films selected for Lucknow Film Festival 2026, Until Can Fly won Best Animation. Winners of the AI hackathon were also felicitated.
The festival concluded with a screening of the Oscar-nominated film Paro, followed by an interactive question-and-answer session with Trupti Vilas Bhoir.
Vibha Agarwal, Rachna Tandon, Namita Gupta and Sangeeta Banerjee were specially honoured for their sustained contributions to the event. The formal proceedings concluded with a vote of thanks by Namita Gupta, bringing the festival to a close on a note of collaboration, innovation and creative exchange.
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