Arunachal Film Festival concludes

The 9th edition of the Arunachal Film festival (AFF) concluded at DK Convention Hall here on Friday.

In the final morning session of the two-day festival, a cinematography workshop was conducted by Indranil Mukherjee, a professor at Satyajit Ray Film & Television Institute, Kolkata (WB). She offered valuable insights into visual storytelling and the art of cinematography.

As many as 28 individuals, including a 10-year-old boy, participated in an acting workshop conducted by Paalin Kabak, who played the role of ‘Jomin’ in the Bollywood flick Bhediya.

He dwelt on the nuances of transitioning from stage performances to on-screen acting, providing the attendees with a deeper understanding of the craft.

Akom Don Emma, a student of Rajiv Gandhi University, Rono Hills, screened her short documentaries titled The Bidi Lady and A Gritis Lad. “This is the first time that I have, as an amateur, directed the two documentaries,” Emma told this daily.

“I am an epiphany seeker, and I believe every person has great, big stories to share, and I am all ears to unearth them,” she added.

While The Bidi Lady presents the story of a woman walking five kms up a slope to her tabo (‘a place to rest’ in the Nyishi language) perched on the top of a hill, in A Gritis Lad, a 13-year-old boy, Tamen, takes up bird-hunting as his hobby.

A movie titled Tora’s Husband, directed by Reema Das, was also screened on the final day of the event. Shorts films titled Big-eyed Pig’s Last Memories and Trust by Morto Films, and Phantasm by Trivial Vision Studio were also screened.

Well-known filmmaker Kombong Darang’s The Songs We Sing, The Drums We Beat was also screened.

Earlier, films such as Nocturnal Burger by Reema Das, Aamis by Bhaskar Hazarika, and Nine Hills, One Valley were also screened.

The day ended with the announcement of this year’s competition winners. Rangrung Ya Rangbee Heh by Mankap Nokwoham took the first place, while Toh Lein (Games & Sports) by Chau Anandra Namchoom was adjudged the runner-up in the short film competition.

In the best short documentary competition, Darang’s The Songs We Sing, The Drums We Beat took the first place, and Emma’s A Gritis Lad came in second.

The AFF is organised by the information & public relations department