Film enthusiasts, critics, and filmmakers from eastern India will have an opportunity to participate in the 10th edition of the Chalachitram National Film Festival (CNFF), scheduled to be held on 24 and 25 October 2026 at the Jyoti Chitraban Film Studio premises in Kahilipara, Guwahati. Organised by Chalachitram, a subsidiary of Vishwa Samvad Kendra (VSK) Assam, the festival will feature selected short films and documentaries, with awards including trophies, certificates and cash prizes presented in the presence of invited guests from the film fraternity.
The festival, mentored by Bharatiya Chitra Sadhna, was launched in 2017 as the Guwahati Film Festival and was renamed the Chalachitram National Film Festival in 2019. Its central theme, "Our Heritage, Our Pride", covers a wide range of subjects including Indian heritage, indigenous communities, freedom movement personalities, epics and mythology, national integration, arts and artisans, yoga, meditation, Ayurveda, manuscripts, paintings, family values, women empowerment, environment, tourism, handicrafts, textiles, traditional sports, monuments, social reformers, music, indigenous festivals, and the tea and oil industries.
According to the organisers, a jury comprising artists, critics, filmmakers, writers and other professionals will select the award-winning entries. Awards in the North East India category will be presented for Best Short Feature, Best Documentary, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Editing, while the All India category will recognise the Best Short Feature and Best Documentary. The competition is open to both professional and emerging filmmakers. Eligible entries must have a duration of one to 25 minutes and should have been produced between 1 September 2025 and 1 September 2026.
The submission schedule includes an Early Bird phase from 10 to 30 June with no entry fee, a regular submission period from 1 to 20 July with an entry fee of Rs 500, and a final submission window from 21 July to 2 September with a fee of Rs 1,000. Entries may be submitted directly to the CNFF office via email at chalachitramne@gmail.com or through FilmFreeway.
India hosts several film festivals dedicated to diverse themes throughout the year. CNFF is one among many such events, alongside festivals focusing on documentary cinema, regional films, human rights, science, literature and other specialised subjects.
The ninth edition of the festival featured more than 30 short features and documentaries in competitive and non-competitive sections. According to the organisers, the films explored a range of themes including ageing and loneliness, family relationships, environmental concerns, social inequality, cultural heritage, disability, indigenous traditions, mental health, education, folklore, traditional crafts and changing social values.
Several films highlighted issues such as the challenges faced by elderly people in urban areas, the effects of caste-based discrimination, the lives of children with disabilities and slow learners, matrilineal family structures, traditional Assamese puppetry, the preservation of textile traditions, and folklore rooted in rural communities. Other entries examined the emotional and psychological challenges faced by young people and the importance of family support and social responsibility.
The closing ceremony of the previous edition was attended by the then Speaker of the Assam Legislative Assembly, Biswajit Daimary, along with members of the film fraternity and invited guests. Organisers, including VSK Assam secretary Kishor Shivam and CNFF secretary Bhagawat Pritam, said they expect the festival to encourage emerging filmmakers to use cinema to address social issues, highlight cultural heritage and contribute to public awareness through the medium of film.
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