Nava Thakuria
The 9th Chalachitram National Film Festival, rescheduled for 29 and 30 November 2025 at Jyoti Chitraban premises in the prehistoric city, will showcase nearly 40 acclaimed short features and documentaries. Organized by Chalachitram, a subsidiary of Vishwa Samvad Kendra- Assam with an aim to foster nationalism through cinemas and paying homage to thousands of years of old civilization, culture and heritage of Bharat, the CNFF 2025 received over 100 film-works from different parts of India and also abroad. The registration process for delegates will continue till the festival kicks off, but no new entries will be entertained, said the organising committee secretary Bhagawat Pritam Dutta and VSK Assam secretary Kishor Shivam.
Initially launched as Guwahati Film Festival in 2017 and later renamed in 2019 with the central theme of 'Our Heritage Our Pride', the distinctive film-fest under the mentorship of Bharatiya Chitra Sadhna also encompasses various issues like Indian heritage, indigenous society, heroes of the freedom movement, epics & mythology, national integration & solidarity, arts & artisans, 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 will select the winning films, where they will be honoured with trophies, certificates, and cash prizes in the presence of distinguished film personalities and cine-goers. The preview committee comprising award winning director Jhulan Krishna Mahanta, veteran filmmaker Bibhu Dutta and accomplished cinematographer Hiten Thakuria, have selected the package of film-works for screening at the unique festival. A number of selected film- works passionately narrate the stories of young people finding it difficult to cope up with the constant changes in their psychological needs and finally isolate themselves from other family members and even nearby friends. After rediscovering the unconditional love and affection from nearest ones, they energize themselves to go ahead pursuing studies and future careers with the sense of responsibility and belongingness in the society in general.
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. Some selected pieces revolve around the traditional love, now overshadowed by growing misunderstanding and no trust among the family members which finally triumph in the time of distress with a true sense of empathy and forgiveness shown by everyone. Loneliness of aged professionals living in urban localities and deserving help and supports from their well-wishers, some take solace on folk tales & songs adoring marriage and other rituals to overcome the anguish, eroding family values where almost everybody suffers in different phases of life, the caste-ridden society and its implications on under privileged individuals while accessing a dignified life and living overcoming the challenges with a determination to defy the prejudices also being featured in some listed entries.
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 and lifestyle adopted by most of the people, tales embracing the malevolent spirit once listened and consumed by everyone in the rural world, abandoned monuments of national pride in different parts of the country with a lot of sagas waiting to be redefined for the new generation should attract the film-goers and appreciators.
India today witnesses a number of interesting national film festivals across the nation in different time slots. Thus the CNFF with nine years of its existence 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.
