The Guwahati International Film Festival (GIFF) is an annual film festival held in Guwahati, Assam, India. The State Government-owned Jyoti Chitraban (Film Studio) Society organised the festival in association with the Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Regional Government Film and Television Institute. The first ever Guwahati International Film Festival (GIFF) to be held in northeast India, which will be inaugurated on 28 October 2017 by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal.[1] The Assam government supported festival began on 28 October with screening of the Oscar winning ‘The Salesman’, directed by Asghar Farhadi and produced by a joint collaboration of Iran and France.
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The GIFF had sections on World Cinema, Indian Panorama, Retrospectives, Cinema of North East, Cinema of Assam and the Tribute. The list of Assamese films included renowned director Jahnu Baruah’s ‘Hkhagoroloi Bohu door’, ‘Ajeyo’, ‘Halodhiya Choraye Baodhan Khai’ and ‘Konikar Ramdhenu’. Films by pioneering filmmakers of Assam — Dr Bhupen Hazarika (‘Shakuntala’), Abdul Mazid (‘Chameli Memsahib’) and Dr Bhabendra Nath Saikia (‘Sandhya Raag’) were also shown.
Awards
The GIFF had competition section only for Assamese films, where Sankar Borua-directed ‘Khandobdaah’ (Grief on a Sunday Morning) was adjust the best. ‘Antardrishti’ (Man with the Binocular) by Rima Das awarded the second best Assamese film, while ‘Haanduk’ (The Hidden Corner) of Jaicheng Jai Dohutia received the Special Jury Award.
Film personalities such as Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Shaji N Karun, Jahnu Barua, Resul Pookutty and A K Bir were associated with GIFF in various capacities.
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Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the festival and ASEAN section was inaugurated by State Industries and Commerce and Act East Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary.
The festival began on 25 October with the screening of ‘Bhoga Khirikee’, directed by Jahnu Barua while Black Crow' (Siyah Karga) by Turkish Director Muhammet Tayfur Aydin was the closing film.[4]
The competition category of the GIFF saw the Golden Camera, the Best Feature Film of North East, going to Arup Manna's film 'Aamrityu- The Quest'. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 2,00,000. The Silver Camera for second Best Feature Film of North East, with a cash prize of Rs 1,50,000, went to 'Kaaneen A Secret Search'. Special Jury Award for Individual with a cash prize of Rs 100, 000 went to Arun Nath for his performance in the Film 'Calendar'; and the Jury's Special Mention Award went to Partha Hazarika for his performance in the film 'Kaaneen- A Secret Search'.[5]
3rd GIFF
The 3rd edition has been postponed, owing to the present COVID-19 pandemic, to early 2021.