Celebration of the ‘Golden Decade’: GIFA Announces 24 Nominations for 2025 Awards

GIFA 2025 Nominations Announced; Jury Panel Including Mihir Bhuta, Vinod Ganatra and Sheetal Shah Leads Selection

GIFA Expresses Gratitude to Media; Urges Audiences to Support Gujarati Cinema by Watching Films in Theatres

Producers, Directors and Film Teams Behind 2025 Releases Applauded as GIFA Enters Its Golden Decade

GIFA Celebrates 10 Years with 24 Award Nominations, Award Night Set for February 28 in Ahmedabad

• Bilkul Online | By Rafat Quadri
• Ahmedabad | 07 Feb 2026

GIFA – Gujarati Iconic Film Awards, one of the most prominent platforms celebrating excellence in Gujarati cinema, has officially entered its 10th year, marking the milestone with the announcement of nominations across 24 categories for the year 2025. The nominations were unveiled at a special event held at AMA, Ahmedabad, attended by founders Hetal Thakkar and Arvind Vegda along with leading jury members and film industry dignitaries.

Golden Decade Milestone for Gujarati Cinema

Completing a decade of its journey, GIFA continues to highlight talent, creativity, and the cultural richness of Gujarati cinema on national and global platforms. Over the years, the awards have emerged as a credible benchmark for recognizing artistic and technical excellence in the regional film industry. Addressing the gathering, founder Hetal Thakkar described the 10-year milestone as a celebration not only of GIFA’s achievements but also of the growth and global recognition of Gujarati cinema, adding that the Golden Decade aims to define a new direction for the industry’s future.

Transparent Selection from 2025 Film Releases

For the 2025 edition, a total of 86 Gujarati films released during the year were considered, of which 72 films participated in the nomination process. Shortlists were prepared after a merit-based and transparent evaluation conducted by an experienced jury panel comprising noted film personalities and technical experts. The nominations cover major categories such as Best Film, Best Director, Best Actor and Actress, Supporting Roles, Music, Lyrics, Background Score, along with several technical awards recognizing behind-the-scenes talent. Jury members emphasized that, considering the importance of the Golden Decade year, the evaluation process followed even stricter professional standards to ensure deserving talent receives recognition.

Key Nomination Highlights

The acting categories reflect a competitive year for Gujarati cinema, with several prominent performers featuring among the nominees. The selection across categories showcases the diversity and creative growth of the industry, recognizing both mainstream successes and critically acclaimed films that contributed significantly to Gujarati cinema in 2025.

Celebration Event and Industry Participation

The nomination announcement ceremony witnessed the presence of jury members including Mihir Bhuta, Vinod Ganatra, Srinivas Patro, Bipin Bapodra, Sheetal Shah, Jignesh Patel, Burzin Unwalla, and Rakesh Pujara. Speaking on the occasion, Arvind Vegda said that initiatives like GIFA, which celebrate Gujarati cinema, music, and culture together, inspire future generations of artists and strengthen the industry’s ecosystem.

Award Night Scheduled for February 28

The GIFA 2025 Award Night is scheduled to be held on 28 February 2026 at Narayani Heights Hotel, Ahmedabad. Nuvoco Cement is the Title Sponsor, Vasant Masala the Main Sponsor, while Vraj Jewellers and Gujarat Tourism are Associate Sponsors, Connplex serves as the Cinema Partner, and Radio Fever is the Radio Partner. With the nominations announced and Golden Decade celebrations underway, enthusiasm and anticipation have spread across the Gujarati film industry as filmmakers, artists, and audiences eagerly await the grand award ceremony.

With the completion of ten successful years, GIFA continues to play a significant role in promoting Gujarati cinema, honoring artistic excellence, and strengthening the global presence of regional films, making the 2025 Golden Decade edition one of the most awaited cultural events of the year.

Arvind Vegda conducted the Ahmedabad media interaction effectively, where he, along with other GIFA organizers, expressed gratitude for the continued support of the media and encouraged audiences to visit theatres to support Gujarati films.

(Rafat Quadri can be contacted at editorbilkul@gmail.com)

Kindly Like the shared links and Subscribe our channel for more such updates. https://youtube.com/shorts/x8IVHQbY31k?feature=share https://youtube.com/shorts/-BzEceJnpJg?feature=share https://youtube.com/shorts/F9uJpG-Sf_Q?feature=share https://youtube.com/shorts/5SWgSLYboU4?feature=share https://youtube.com/shorts/xgJbv57rC6g?feature=share https://youtu.be/N3z8GAQyRFo