Guwahati International Film Festival ends with 10,000 viewers

The second Guwahati International Film Festival (GIFF) concluded Wednesday at the Srimanta Sankardeva International Auditorium, Kalakshetra, after the week-long extravaganza attracted a record footfall of over 10,000 viewers. The event, organized between October 25 and October 31, screened over a hundred films of Asian, Arab, Mediterranean, European and North East Indian cinema. It also included among others India premiere of the Jahnu Barua directed and Priyanka Chopra's Purple Pebbles Picture production's Assamese film Bhoga Khirikee.

Official sources said that the organisers had to stop all registrations on the second day of the event due to the unprecedented rush of viewers. The Assam government-owned Jyoti Chitraban (Film Studio) Society was the organiser of the festival along with Dr Bhupen Hazarika Regional Government Film and Television Institute. Naba Kumar Doley, Minister, Cultural Affairs, said at the closing ceremony that besides creating a platform for international filmmakers to network and promote their work, the festival has also been the forum for many emerging film-makers of the region.

He said that the festival was also an attempt to forge connection between cultures and facilitate international contact between film-makers and students. This is a union of film enthusiasts and film personalities from around the world aiming to promote local talents in film-making and to foster cross-cultural collaboration," Jyoti Chitraban Chairman Pabitra Margherita said. Thanking the Assam government for its support, Margherita expressed gratitude to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal for the encouragement and much-needed impetus for the event. "It was the chief minister who aspired to give student filmmakers the opportunity to interact and exchange views with renowned national and international film-makers and thus the Open Forum for discussion and the Master Class became a significant part of Film Festivals synergy," Margherita said. Festival director Monita Borgohain said the edition of the festival was special in many ways.

"We not only got the cooperation from all 10 ASEAN countries but also the presence of ambassadors and envoys from Serbia, Argentina, Latvia, Myanmar, Lithuania, Estonia have certainly boosted our spirits and encouraged us to eye bigger goals in the future," Borgohain said. The chairperson of the jury and eminent Assamese film-maker Monju Borah declared the results of the Competition Section with the Special Jury Award for Individual with a cash prize of Rs 1,00,000 going to Arun Nath for his performance in the Film Calendar. Silver Camera, 2nd Best Feature Film of North East with a cash prize of Rs 1,50,000 went to Kaaneen A Secret Search; and the Golden Camera, the Best Feature Film of North East award with a cash Prize of Rs 2,00,000 to Arup Mannas film Aamrityu - The Quest. The Jurys Special Mention Award went to Partha Hazarika for his performance in the film Kaaneen- A Secret Search.

(With inputs from agencies.)