Guwahati: The 9th edition of the Chalachitram National Film Festival 2025 (CNFF-25), scheduled for 25–26 October at Jyoti Chitraban Film Studio, Kahilipara, has already received nearly 100 film submissions from across Northeast India and beyond, the organisers announced.
The two-day annual festival, organised by Chalachitram (www.chalachitram.in), a subsidiary of Vishwa Samvad Kendra Assam, aims to foster nationalism through cinema while celebrating India’s millennia-old civilization, culture, and heritage. This year’s central theme is “Our Heritage, Our Pride.”
The festival is open to short features and documentaries produced between 1 November 2024 and 15 September 2025, with a maximum runtime of 25 minutes. Submissions for the competition section (exclusively for filmmakers from Northeast India) and the screening-only section (for the rest of India) have been accepted through FilmFreeway as well as other digital and offline modes. More entries are expected until the extended deadline of 20 September.
Festival secretary Bhagwat Pritam Dutta informed that a review committee and jury board have been constituted to evaluate the films. Awards will be presented in multiple categories including Best Short Feature, Best Documentary, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best Editing (under the Northeast category), along with Best Short Feature and Best Documentary (national category). Winners will receive trophies, certificates, and cash prizes.
The entries cover a wide range of sub-themes such as Indian heritage, indigenous society, heroes of the freedom movement, epics and mythology, national integration, art and artisans, manuscripts and paintings, museums, wood carving, indigenous festivals, ethnic traditions, monuments, traditional sports, women empowerment, family values, yoga and Ayurveda, cultural nationalism, human rights, and tourism potential.
“CNFF-25 is not just a film festival but a platform to provide a dignified space for serious filmmakers, cine workers, enthusiasts, and the general audience to engage with the country’s cultural and civilizational journey,” said VSK Assam secretary Kishor Shivam.
