NE films in focus at Kolkata film fest; to be featured in Goa
Pradip Kurbah's Ha Lyngkha Bneng (The Elysian Field) receives the Best Director award at Kolkata International Film Festival
Our Bureau & Raju Vernekar
Kolkata/Mumbai, Nov 17: Films from the northeastern states are making an impact at festivals across the country and around the world.
Three films, including one by Pradip Kurbah made a mark in the Indian Language Films competition category at the recently concluded Kolkata International Film Festival 2025.
Kurbah’s Khasi film Ha Lyngkha Bneng (The Elysian Field) received the Best Director award; Tribeny Rai’s Nepalese movie from Sikkim Chhora Jastai (Shape of Momo) got the Best Film award; and Khanjan Kishore Nath’s Assamese film Kangbo Aloti (The Lost Path) got the Special Jury Award.
Another Khasi film, Apot A Presage of Tiewlarun (Misfortune) by Raphael Warjri was also screened at the Kolkata festival.
The northeastern film matters because films from the region voice different narratives. Prominent filmmaker from Assam Manju Borah said the region has over 200 dialects, and “when someone makes a film in one of these languages, it becomes a message to the world”.
Kurbah, who was among the speakers during a discussion at KIFF, spoke about the government initiatives to encourage local films and filmmakers.
Goa film festival
Now, films from the region are travelling to the 56th International Film Festival of India (56th IFFI 2025), scheduled to take place in Panaji from November 20-28.
The films from the North East include Assamese Bhaimon Da (India’s finest cinematic works of the year in the category-Feature Film), Sikaar (the Mainstream Cinema) and Patralekha.
Manipuri Oitharei (India’s finest cinematic works of the year in the category) and Battlefield (Non-Feature Film category). Sikkimese Shangrila, the Sikkimese-language documentary produced by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC).
