Guwahati: The 10th edition of the Chalachitram National Film Festival (CNFF) will be held on October 24 and 25, 2026, at the Jyoti Chitraban Film Studio premises in Kahilipara, bringing together filmmakers, critics, cinema enthusiasts and industry professionals from across eastern India.
Organised by Chalachitram, a subsidiary of Vishwa Samvad Kendra (VSK) Assam, the festival will showcase short films and documentaries celebrating India’s civilisational heritage, cultural traditions and national identity. Outstanding entries will be honoured with trophies, certificates and cash prizes during the closing ceremony attended by eminent personalities from the film fraternity.
Originally launched as the Guwahati Film Festival in 2017, the event was renamed Chalachitram National Film Festival in 2019. Since then, it has been organised around the theme “Our Heritage, Our Pride,” encouraging filmmakers to explore subjects ranging from India’s cultural legacy and freedom movement to indigenous communities, national integration, women empowerment, environmental conservation, traditional arts, handicrafts, tourism, yoga, Ayurveda, folk traditions and heritage monuments.
The festival invites both experienced and emerging filmmakers from across the country. Eligible films must have a duration between one and 25 minutes and should have been produced between September 1, 2025, and September 1, 2026.
Awards in the North East category will be presented for Best Short Feature, Best Documentary, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography and Best Editing. The All India category will feature awards for Best Short Feature and Best Documentary.
The organisers have announced a three-phase submission schedule. Entries submitted between June 10 and June 30 qualify under the Early Bird category without any fee. The Regular submission window runs from July 1 to July 20 with an entry fee of Rs 500, while the Final Deadline extends from July 21 to September 2 with a fee of Rs 1,000. Films can be submitted through FilmFreeway or directly to the festival organisers via email.
Over the years, CNFF has established itself among India‘s growing list of national film festivals by providing a platform for independent filmmakers, particularly those producing socially relevant documentaries and short features.
The previous edition featured more than 30 films covering a wide spectrum of themes, including ageing and loneliness, changing family structures, environmental conservation, indigenous traditions, caste discrimination, disability, mental health, women’s issues, traditional livelihoods and cultural preservation. Several entries highlighted the challenges faced by elderly citizens, differently-abled children and marginalised communities, while others explored Assam’s rich folklore, puppetry, textile heritage and rural storytelling traditions.
The festival also showcased films examining psychological wellbeing among young people, social isolation and the importance of family support, alongside documentaries preserving fading cultural practices and traditional knowledge systems.
The ninth edition concluded with a ceremony attended by former Assam Legislative Assembly Speaker Biswajit Daimary, senior film personalities and distinguished guests.
Festival organisers, including VSK Assam secretary Kishor Shivam, CNFF president Nava Thakuria and secretary Bhagawat Pritam, said the event aims to encourage aspiring filmmakers to use cinema as a medium for social awareness, cultural preservation and nation-building while creating opportunities for independent voices from across the country.