Guwahati: As the 9th Chalachitram National Film Festival 2025 (CNFF-25) is set for 25 & 26 October next at Jyoti Chitraban film studio premises in Kahilipara, nearly 100 film works have reached the organizing committee this 15 August from various parts of northeast Bharat and also outside the region. The two-day annual festival, initiated for fostering nationalism through cinemas and paying homage to the country’s thousands of years old civilization, culture and heritage, is open for short features and documentaries (produced between 1 November 2024 and 15 September 2025) with a time frame of a maximum of 25 minutes.
Organised by Chalachitram (www.chalachitram.in), a subsidiary of Vishwa Samvad Kendra Assam, CNFF-25 with the central theme ‘Our Heritage, Our Pride’, is dedicated to providing a dignified space for the serious film-makers, cine workers, appreciators, and general audience. The entries for both the competition (confined to northeastern film makers) and the only screening categories (coming from the rest of India) have been received through FilmFreeway and other digital & and non-digital communication facilities, where a few more entries are expected by 20 September next.
The awards include Best Short Feature, Best Documentary, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Editing under the Northeast category and Best Short Feature & Best Documentary in the National category. The winners will be honoured with trophies, certificates, and cash prizes, informed CNFF-25 secretary Bhagwat Pritam Dutta, adding that a high-power review committee and a jury board have already been formed.
The entries with various sub-themes like Indian heritage, indigenous society, heroes of the freedom movement, epics & mythology, national integration & solidarity, arts & artisans, manuscripts & paintings, museums, wood carving, indigenous festivals, ethnic groups, monuments & heritage sites, traditional sports, women empowerment, tradition & family values, yoga & Ayurveda, cultural nationalism, human rights, tourism potential, etc have been acknowledged, said VSK Assam secretary Kishor Shivam.
