SAARC Cultural Centre will be holding the SAARC Film Festival for the 9th consecutive year in 2019 in Sri Lanka. The SAARC Film Festival has built a reputation as being a very important platform and focal point for the promotion, celebration and enjoyment of some of the best films from the SAARC Region. A reputed panel of international judges will select the best films and recognise the individuals who are at the very core of this creativity as a form of encouragement and respect to continue producing quality, thought provoking and representational films for the Region.

The SAARC Film Festival 2019 will focus on films created in South Asia and first screened after 1st May 2017. Directors and artistes of these films will be invited to participate in the workshop, which is conducted to encourage and improve future productions.

There will be three film categories open for nominations at the SAARC Film Festival 2019: Feature Films - Nominations for the Competitive Categories (Maximum of two nominations), Short Films - Nominations for the Competitive Category (Maximum of two nominations), Master Films - Non-Competitive Nomination (One Nomination).

As the aim of this SAARC Film Festival is to promote culture and embrace unity amidst the diversity of culture that is shared among the SAARC Member States, films nominated should aim to promote culture, foster friendship and cultural harmony between Member States and not showcase films that would in any way be prejudicial to another Member State.