India’s Seattle Consulate organizes first Indian film festival in Montana

The Consulate General of India in Seattle, in collaboration with the Montana World Affairs Council, organized the first-ever 'Festival of Indian Cinema' in Montana, celebrating India's cultural diversity through films.

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Held at the University of Montana in Missoula from March 2-4, the festival featured screenings of popular Indian movies such as English Vinglish, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, and Raksha Bandhan, attracting over 500 students from 33 schools participating in the Montana Academic World Quest 2025.

The event's opening ceremony was attended by Seattle’s Consul General of India Prakash Gupta, Mayor of Helena Wilmot Collins, and World Affairs Council Executive Director Nikki Geiszler. According to a press release by the Indian Consulate, the festival aimed to enhance students’ understanding of India's cultural richness through cinema.

India was the ‘Theme Country’ of this year’s Academic World Quest, a multi-day global conference for high school students across Montana. Alongside the film festival, interactive sessions on Indian classical dance and music, India's digital payment platforms, and the recently concluded Maha Kumbh were also organized.

Winning students from this year’s India Theme Country Academic World Quest are expected to visit India later this year. Since its inception in 2005, the Academic World Quest has engaged over 4,000 students, making it one of the nation’s largest and most recognized international education programs.