by Nava Thakuria
Guwahati: The 9th edition of the Chalachitram National Film Festival (CNFF-25) drew to a close at Jyoti Chitraban, Kahilipara, on Sunday, with eminent guests presenting awards, certificates and cash prizes to winning filmmakers, in the presence of film veterans, emerging talents and enthusiastic cine-lovers.
Organised by Chalachitram, a wing of Vishwa Samvad Kendra-Assam, the two-day event featured more than 30 short films and documentaries, divided into competitive and screening categories.
In the awards section, ‘Koli’ directed by Jyotirmoy Mazumder was declared the Best Short Feature (Northeast India), while ‘Joba’, directed by Indira Baikerikar, won Best Short Feature (Rest of India).
Award winners
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Best Documentary: The String Master — Biswajit Das
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Best Director: Who Will Call Out Father Father — Bismita Borah
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Best Cinematography: Expectation — Ramjyoti Krincharan, Ajijul Islam, Elvachisa Sangma
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Best Editing: Muga — Samujjal Kashyap
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Best Screenplay: The Silent Performer — Irungbam Manisana
The jury—comprised of renowned filmmaker-critic-writer Vijayakrishnan, National Award-winning filmmaker Maipaksana Haorongbam, and acclaimed sound designer-mixer Debajit Gayan—also gave a special mention to ‘Just Breath’, directed by Shreyas S. Gautam.
Words of encouragement
Addressing the closing ceremony, Assam Legislative Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary commended the festival for fostering young filmmakers and encouraged them to continue creating meaningful cinema rooted in India’s cultural legacy. He highlighted the abundance of mythological and historical narratives from eastern Bharat that deserve cinematic exploration.
Sharing the stage, Jyoti Chitraban Film Society Chairman Bidyasagar Bora and CNFF-25 President Nava Thakuria also motivated young filmmakers to pursue cinema as a national cultural medium.
The First Film, directed by Piyush Thakur, was screened as the closing film of the festival, while Aham Bhartam, directed by Bharat Bala, marked the festival’s opening.
Festival highlights
With the central theme “Our Heritage, Our Pride,” CNFF-25 received nearly 100 submissions produced between 1 November 2024 and 15 September 2025, each limited to 25 minutes. A preview committee consisting of veteran filmmaker Bibhu Dutta, celebrated director Jhulan Krishna Mahanta, and accomplished cinematographer Hiten Thakuria curated the screening selections.
The festival—promoting Indian civilization, cultural ethos and heritage—was inaugurated on 29 November by Dr. Sunil Mohanty, Asom Khetra Prachar Pramukh of the RSS, who lit ceremonial lamps before portraits of Bharat Mata and Assamese cultural icons Bharat Ratna Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, Zubeen Garg, and Deepak Sarma.
🎬 An outdoor panel discussion on film performance and audience engagement, moderated by poet-critic Aparajita Pujari, featured popular Assamese actors Jatin Bora and Kapil Bora, along with actors-performers Poonam Gurung and Kamal Lochan, drawing strong interest from young filmmakers and film enthusiasts.
A special festival souvenir, Chalachitram, was also released, and the screening of Mon Jai as a tribute to Zubeen Garg added emotional resonance to the event.
Members of the organizing committee—Kishor Shivam, Bhagawat Pritam, Riju Dutta, Sanjib Parasar, Deepak Dutta, Pranjit Deka, Buddha Boro, among others—expressed hope that CNFF will continue inspiring emerging filmmakers to harness cinema as a powerful medium for social and cultural transformation across the subcontinent.
