Much Awaited Chalachitram National Film Festival Dates Announced

Guwahati : Endeavouring to bridge the gap between the traditional and the modern, Chalachitram National Film Festival (CNFF) has, since 2017, been an important platform that exhibits heritage and harnesses the power of cinema to bring about societal change. The seventh consecutive edition will be conducted September 9 and 10 at the Jyoti Chitraban Film Studio, Guwahati, Assam.

While mainstream cinema focuses primarily on providing entertainment, “Chalachitram celebrates the rich heritage of India by highlighting the diverse cultures and traditions that make up the nation’s collective pride,” says Utpal Datta, the festival director. “The motto of our festival is Our Heritage Our Pride’- he adds.

The central theme of CNFF 2023 is ‘Our Heritage. Our Pride.’ The sub themes are Land and Peoples, Tourism, Arts, Handicrafts & Textiles, Manuscript and Manuscript Paintings, Painting & Woodcarving, Music and Musicians, Festivals, Monuments & Heritage Sites, Social Reformers & Pioneers, Sports, Tea and Oil Industries, Culture and Values, Social Awareness, Family System, Environment, Constructive Work, and Women.

Filmmakers of Indian origin are invited to send in their feature, short fiction, documentary, and animation films made between August 1, 2022 and July 31, 2023. The entry fee is Rs. 500. The final submission date is August 1. Films submitted in the competition section should not exceed 20 minutes. Films submitted in the non-competition section may have a maximum duration of 1 hour. All non-English films are necessitated to have EST. Films may be submitted either on Filmfreeway or directly on the festival website.

Handheld footage with jerky movements, audio tracks with noise and other disturbances, and films shot on low-resolution cell phones are all eligible. “The arrival of AI has ensured that the print quality of the sound and image will soon cease forever to be a cause for concern, and that intelligent, creative artists may one day be able to tell their stories even if they have access only to rudimentary equipment,” says Christopher Dalton, the artistic director. For now, Chalachitram is open to accepting films that have even glaring print quality flaws.

The CNFF jury confers awards in five categories, namely, Best Film, Best North East Film, Best Director, Best Cinematographer, and Best Scriptwriter. Winners will receive trophies, certificates, and cash prizes. Winners of previous CNFF editions have gone on to be honored at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) and the National Film Awards.

Image: Kripal Kalita receiving trophy at Chalachitram 2019 from jury member Aimee Baruah

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ySiWJ-uiIIBNpOAUNBRUTn2VvGaUwlcg/view?usp=sharing

For further details, please contact festival director Utpal Datta: 70021 53964