By Nava Thakuria*
Guwahati: The curtain came down for the 8th Chalachitram National Film Festival – 2024 at Jyoti Chitraban premises in Kahilipara locality of the prehistoric city on October 27, where Jaswandha (directed by Shoneel Yallattikar) was adjudged the Best Movie in the Rest of India category.
A Sylvan Saga by Jyoti Prasad Das was adjudged the Best Film in the Northeast India category. Das also received the Best Director award, whereas Abhijit Nayak got the Best Screenplay award for
Wrong Number (directed by Bijit Borgohain).
Also read: 8th Chalachitram film festival to foster nationalism in Northeast
Best cinematography awards went to Angsuman Barua and Pradip Ch Sarma (also the director) for Aadi Shakti Maa Kamakhya, and Chida Bora and Saril Nandan Deka for Teens of 1942 (directed by Samiran Deka). Bhaskar Jyoti Bhuyan received the best editing award for Birubala-The Crusader (directed by Dhiraj Kashyap). Jury’s special mention went to A Letter To My Home (directed by Devajani Halder).
Organized by Chalachitram, a subsidiary of Vishwa Samvad Kendra Assam, the two-day festival showcased 50 documentary and short feature films in both the completion and only screening categories.
The annual event for committed movie-goers aims to foster nationalism through film works and pay homage to the thousands of years old civilization, culture and heritage of India.
The film-fest revolved around the central theme ‘Our Heritage, Our Pride’ and it also encompassed issues like Land and People, Tourism, Arts, Handicrafts and Textiles, Manuscript and Manuscript Paintings, Painting & Woodcarving, Music and Musicians, Cultural Festivals, Monuments & Heritage sites, Social Reformers & Pioneers, Sports, Tea and Oil Industries, Culture and Values, Social Awareness, Family System, Women, Environment.
The awardees were honoured with cash prizes, trophies and certificates during the closing ceremony in the presence of distinguished cine-personalities and film appreciators including Assam’s evergreen celluloid heroin Mridula Barua (who lighted the sacred lamp in front of Bharat Mata’s portrait), eminent filmmakers Atul Gangowar, Santosh Pathare, Sanskar Desai, Jadumani Dutta, Oinam Gautam, Bhagwat Pritam, among others.
The Last Generation, directed by Prabal Khaund, was screened as the inaugural film of CNFF-24.
The festival was inaugurated by Cotton University vice-chancellor Ramesh Ch Deka in the presence of national award-winning Assamese singer Tarali Sarma, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s northeastern media coordinator Sunil Mohanty and a host of other dignitaries. The festival attracted a large number of young film buffs, who enjoyed the entries and brainstormed on film crafts for two days on the campus, established in memory of Assam’s pioneer filmmaker Rupkonwar Jyotiprasad Agarwala.
– global bihari bureau
