Manipur’s Toy Gun and Assam’s The Silent Crisis won top honours at the 10th Chalachitram National Film Festival 2026 in Guwahati. The two-day event screened 44 documentaries and short features.
/pratidin/media/member_avatars/2025/04/25/2025-04-25t105002043z-10.png)
New Update
/pratidin/media/media_files/2026/10/26/chalachitram-national-film-festival-2026-10-26-18-07-17.webp)
Guwahati: Manipur's Toy Gun and Assam's The Silent Crisis won the Best Short Feature and Best Documentary awards, respectively, in the Northeast India section as the 10th Chalachitram National Film Festival (CNFF) 2026 concluded at Jyoti Chitraban Film Studio in Kahilipara, Guwahati, on Sunday.
In the Rest of India section, Somnath Bag's Gaach Pathar took Best Short Feature, while Harikishan MV's The Redemption was adjudged Best Documentary. Toy Gun is directed by Parashuram Thingnam, and The Silent Crisis by Smitakshi Baruah Goswami.
/filters:format(webp)/pratidin/media/media_files/2026/10/26/1-2026-10-26-18-16-36.jpeg)
/filters:format(webp)/pratidin/media/media_files/2026/10/26/2-2026-10-26-18-16-36.jpeg)
Sumi Saikia won Best Director for In 9 Months, and Shiddhartha Sharma took Best Screenplay for Ankur. Rupamjyoti Saikia was named Best Cinematographer for The Khamyang Story, and Ambarish Borkotoki won Best Editor for Ananta Jatra. Nithan's Take Away received the Jury's Special Mention.
/filters:format(webp)/pratidin/media/media_files/2026/10/26/1-2026-10-26-18-19-00.jpeg)
/filters:format(webp)/pratidin/media/media_files/2026/10/26/2-2026-10-26-18-19-00.jpeg)
State Minister Nilima Devi and Asom Kshetra Prachar Pramukh of the RSS, Dr Sunil Mohanty, attended the closing ceremony. Jury members Vishnu Sarma of Delhi, Sujit Debbarma of Tripura and Ramen Bora of Assam, along with the preview committee and volunteers, were acknowledged.
Held under the theme “Our Heritage, Our Pride,” the two-day festival screened 44 documentaries and short features. It opened on October 24 with the Japanese film Kintsugi and closed with Present by Uzbek filmmaker Asadbek Akmal Ogli. A special screening of Bhupen Da Uncut, directed by Bobbeeta Sharma, marked the birth centenary of Bharat Ratna Dr Bhupen Hazarika.
/filters:format(webp)/pratidin/media/media_files/2026/10/26/cnff-2026-10-26-18-19-57.jpeg)
Organised by Chalachitram, a subsidiary of Vishwa Samvad Kendra–Assam, the festival was inaugurated by National Award-winning director Dr Santwana Bardoloi. Vidyasagar, chairman of Jyoti Chitraban Film Society, released a souvenir edited by senior cine journalist Hemchandra Doley.
VSK Assam Secretary Kishor Shivam, CNFF President Nava Thakuria and Secretary Bhagawat Pritam, on behalf of the organisers, expressed hope that Chalachitram would continue to encourage emerging filmmakers to use cinema to empower underprivileged communities, preserve cultural heritage and foster patriotism.