Guwahati: Come 24 and 25 October 2026, the film buffs, cine critics and movie producer-directors of eastern India will have an  unique opportunity to encounter film-works, dedicated to foster nationalism and paying homage to Bharat’s thousands years old civilization, culture and heritage, as the  10th edition of Chalachitram National Film Festival (CNFF) unfolds selected  short duration films at Jyoti Chitraban film society premises in Kahilipara locality of the city. Organised  by Chalachitram (https://chalachitram.in), a subsidiary of Vishwa Samvad Kendra- Assam, the unique film festival will honour the selected entries with trophies, certificates, and cash prizes in the presence of distinguished film personalities and cine-goers.

The distinctive film-fest under the mentorship of Bharatiya Chitra Sadhna was initially launched as Guwahati Film Festival in 2017 and it was renamed in 2019 with the central theme of ‘Our Heritage Our Pride’ which encompasses various issues like Indian heritage, indigenous society, heroes of the freedom movement, epics & mythology, national integration & solidarity, arts & artisans, Yoga-meditation-Ayurveda, manuscripts & paintings, tradition and family values, cultural nationalism, women empowerment, environment, land & people, tourism, arts, handicrafts & textiles, wood carving, manuscript & manuscript paintings, painting & woodcarving, music and musicians, indigenous festivals, traditional sports, monuments & heritage sites, social reformers & pioneers, tea and oil industries, etc.

A jury board consisting of artistes, critics, film-makers, writers and other professionals select the award winning films, where five awards will be presented in North East India category including best short feature, best documentary, best director, screenplay, cinematography and editing, whereas two awards are kept for All India category comprising best short feature and best documentary. All categories are open to professionals as well as novice filmmakers where the entries should be limited to one minute to 25 minutes and those must be produced between  1 September  2025 and 1 Sept 2026. The entry dates include Early Bird (10 to 30 June) without fee, regular deadline (1 –20 July) with fees of Rs 500 and final deadline  (20 July till 2 Sept) with fees of  Rs 1,000. The entries can be sent directly to CNFF office (e-mail: chalachitramne@gmail.com) or through Filmfreeway.com.

India today witnesses a number of intriguing national film festivals across the country in different time slots. Thus the CNFF has joined the elite clubs comprising MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, Great Indian Film and Literature Festival, Asia Livelihood Documentary Festival, Alpavirama South Asian Short & Documentary Film-fest, Bangalore Queer Film-fest, Brahmaputra Valley Film-fest, Cinemela Film-fest, Flashpoint Human Rights Film-fest, Golden Jury Film-fest, Hyderabad Bengali Film-fest, Indogma Film-fest, Jagran Film-fest, Jeevika Film-fest,  Kalakari Film-fest, Madhubani Film-fest, New Delhi Film-fest, National Science Film-fest, Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema, Patna Film-fest, Rajasthan Film-fest, Tigerland India Film-fest, Verite Film-fest, Vibgyor Film-fest, etc. 

The  9th CNFF, inaugurated by Dr Sunil Mohanty, Asom khetra prachar pramukh of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh by lighting sacred lamps in front of Bharat Mata’s portrait as well as Dr Bhupen Hazarika, Zubeen Garg and Deepak Sarma, showcased over 30 short features and documentaries in both competitive  and only screening categories. Scary loneliness of old ages while silently finding reasons to live and also gracefully depart the world, redefining the meaning of death, searching a peaceful home with closest ones, fraud and greed mesmerising  the modern lives, an environment supporting the human race, socio-cultural heritages of Bharat enriched with thousands of years of legacy and many other striving issues came with those entries. Some passionately narrated the tales of  aged professionals living in urban localities who deserve  helping hands from their well-wishers, some even take solace on folk tales & songs adoring marriage and other rituals to overcome their relentless anguish, encountering eroded family values where almost everybody suffers in different forms.

The caste-ridden society and its implications on under-privileged individuals while accessing a  dignified life and living to overcome challenges with a determination to defy the prejudices was  also featured in some visual pieces. Projected slow learners and differently-able children in some entries may expose a different world to the audience, many of whom have little idea about the painful and emotional moments surrounding those minors. The matriarchal society, where men traditionally leave their own family to adopt a new one after marriage thus putting those fathers in isolation, ancient practises of magic that amuse the young people and help them fantasize to achieve the impossible, the surviving traditional Assamese string puppetry, thousands of years of old textile industry across Bharat and their legacy facing the turmoil of modern technology, tales embracing the malevolent spirit once listened and consumed by everyone in the rural world attracted the film-enthusiasts.

The young people finding it difficult to cope up with the constant changes in their psychological needs and isolating themselves from other relatives was also addressed in some film works, but with a positive note as  they energize themselves after rediscovering the unconditional love and affection from nearest ones and prepare for marching ahead pursuing studies and future careers with the sense of responsibility and belongingness in the society. The closing ceremony was graced by the then State legislative assembly speaker Biswajit Daimary along with a number of distinguished film personalities, other dignitaries and cine-goers. On behalf of the organizing committee, VSK Assam secretary Kishor Shivam, CNFF  president Nava Thakuria and  secretary Bhagawat Pritam, hope that the film festival would go a long way to encourage the budding filmmakers in engaging the medium for  social changes across the sub-continent empowering the underprivileged section and creating a sense of patriotism among everyone.