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Special session underway at IFFI to commemorate NE cinema

By Aiyushman Dutta |
Purple Fusion performin at IFFI Goa

The much awaited first-edition of the North-east section got underway in the 44th International Film Festival of India in Kala Academy, Panjim today. The Northeast section is a first-of-its-kind programme incorporated in the prestigious IFFI ceremony to commemorate filmmakers and films from India’s Northeast region.

Popular Naga folk fusion band marked the opening of the Northeast section of the IFFI ceremony where popular actors Adil Hussain and Seema Biswas and Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma were the guest of honours respectively. The Northeast section, which has been curated by National Award-winning film critic Utpal Borpujari, will culminate on November 27. Eminent Assamese artist and filmmaker Pulak Gogoi is the overall art director of the festival.


Meghalaya CM Mukul Sangma felicitating band members of Purple Fusion during the opening ceremony of NE section in IFFI 2013

“It is a matter of great privilege and honour for us to represent the numerous tribes and communities of Northeast India in this prestigious occasion. It’s really nice to represent our region in this special section designed to commemorate Northeast Indian cinema and our filmmakers, said Lamtsala Sangtam, vocalist of Purple Fusion.

Purple Fusion is a four-piece folk fusion band from Nagaland which blends the oral folk songs and traditions of the various Naga tribes and dialects with contemporary world musical genres like blues, jazz, rock, reggae, etc. Within a short span of time, the band has showcased the beauty of Naga folk music to a vast audience across the entire country.

Khawnlung Run, the first-ever Mizo film to be screened in any international film festival was the opening film in the festival. The film has been directed by Mapuia Chawngthu.

The Northeast package in IFFI is all set to be a cultural extravaganza as it brings about 22 films from the Northeast coupled with musical performances and Northeast Indian food stalls. There will be cultural performances of Northeastern folk dances every evening during Nov 22-27 apart from handicraft exhibitions and Northeastern food stall.


A gathering of the first NE section of IFFI in Panaji, Goa on Friday

Some of the films to be screened in the Northeast section “Rupkonwar Jyotiprasad Aru Joymoti” (Directed by Dr Bhupen Hazarika), a documentary on the making of “Joymoti”, the first film in the North East made in 1935 by Jyotiprasad Agarwalla, “Matamgi Manipur”, Haobam Paban Kumar’s documentary “The First Leap”, “Sonam” (Directed by Ahsan Majid, Monpa language), “Ishanou”, “Kathaa” (Directed by Prashant Rasailly), “Ka Lad” (Directed by Dondor Lyngdoh & Gautam Syiem), “Songs of Mashangva” (Directed by Oinam Doren), “Going the Distance” (Directed by Tianla Jamir) from Nagaland, “Panoi Jongki” (Directed by Dilip Doley & Narayan Seal, language Mising) from Assam, “Yarwng” (Directed by Joseph Pulinthanath, language Kokborok) from Tripura, “Papori” (Directed by Jahnu Barua) from Assam, “Hagramayo Jinahari”  (Directed by Jwngdao Bodosa, language Bodo) from Assam, “Agnisnaan” (Directed by Dr Bhabendra Nath Saikia) from Assam, “Baibhav – A Scam in Verse” (Directed by Manju Borah) from Assam, and “Wosobipo” (Directed by Gautam Bora, language Karbi) from Assam.

A host of popular actors, documentary makers and personalities from the media and cultural world of the Northeast have already descended in Goa for the film festival. Some of the visiting delegates includes Padmashri award winning journalist Patricia Mukhim, Assamese film personalities Zerifa Wahid, Utpal Datta, Manju Borah, Yeshe Dorjee Thongchi from Arunachal Pradesh, Prashant Rasaily from Sikkim, Mapuia Chawnghtu from Mizoram, Tianla Jamir from Nagaland, amongst others. 

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