Bengaluru, 26 Feb 

The Karnataka government in collaboration with the Association of Bangalore Animation Industry, will host the seventh edition of Bengaluru GAFX 2026, one of the country’s largest AVGCXR conferences and exhibitions, from 27 February.

The three-day summit will be inaugurated by Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah and his Deputy DK Shivakumar, along with actor Sudeepa Sanjeev, among other dignitaries.

It will bring together creators, studios, technologists, investors, policymakers, global studios, education leaders and industry bodies from India and abroad, reinforcing Karnataka’s position as a leading hub for the AVGC-XR (Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming, Comics and Extended Reality) creative technology ecosystem, officials said.

 A major highlight of GAFX 2026 will be the first-ever exclusive behind-the-scenesshowcase of ‘Kantara: Chapter 1’, offering audiences and industry professionals a rare look into the making of one of India’s most anticipated projects, a statement said. GAFX will also present a deep dive into the making of the Oscar-nominated animated short film ‘Cardboard’ by DNEG Animation, as well as a craft session on the Oscar nominated feature ‘The Lost Bus’ by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) for the first time, it said. These sessions will be joined by other high-profile behind-the-scenes and making-of presentations, including ‘Deadpool and Wolverine: The Art of Blood and Guts’ by Framestore and a behind-thescenes session on Netflix’s hit animated show ‘Kurukshetra’ by HiTech Animation Studios.

The theme for this year ‘Evolution Reloaded’ reflects Karnataka’s belief that the next phase of growth in creative industries will be driven by the convergence of human imagination and deep technology, Minister Priyank Kharge said.