| Adda’s short film fest A short film festival was organised  by Adda on December 6 at Rabindra Bhawan to a packed audience. Seventeen short films, including a few from outside the State, were screened. For the first time, the organisers have declared prizes under the competitive category. These are: Best Animation Film – The Thief (director Jiten Das) and Best Short Film – I Am The Poet (Deep Chowdhury and Shashanka Das). The annual cash prize of Rs 10,000 for the best film was donated by Balindrajit Pathak, managing director of Nest Video Editing Pvt Ltd, in memory of his brother Jiten Pathak. ‘Talent of the Year’ award went to Pranab Kumar Sikdar for his animation films We Need to Change Us – Not the Planet and Stand Together Against Terrorism. The festival had competitive and non-competitive sections and the directors of the selected films were honoured with a citation and a medal which were handed over by film personalities like Paran Barbaroah, Pulak Gogoi, Sanjib Sabhapandit, Bani Das and Rajen Rajkhowa. Two jury members, Bidyut Chakravarty and Manoj Barpujari, were felicitated at the function. Inaugurating the festival, veteran filmmaker Gauri Barman dwelt at length about short films and documentaries, while lauding the Adda venture. A souvenir was also brought out on the occasion. Jitul Sonowal presented a song written on Adda at the function compered by Abani Chowdhury and Bibi Devi Barbarooah. Amardip Gogoi, president, Amarjyoti Deka, secretary and members of Adda deserve praise for the constructive endeavour. |
| Guwahati Film Festival The week-long Guwahati Film Festival is being held from December 10 to 16 at Rabindra Bhawan and Lakshmiram Barua Sadan under the aegis of Gauhati Cine Club. The festival includes nearly 40 acclaimed films from all over the globe. Films shown at Goa and Kolkata will also be screened at this festival. Some of the films scheduled for screening are The Pride and Once Again (Peru), Landscape-2 (Slovenia), Relative and The Unburied Man (Hungary), Once Upon a Time – Cinema and Time for Ducan Horse (Iran), Grief Over the Yellow (China), Whisky with Vodka (Germany). There will also be films from Bulgaria, Norway, Thailand, Poland, Israel, Turkey, India, etc. The four-decade-old Gauhati Cine Club has been organising regular screening of films of national and international repute. The festival will also include films from Manipur, Tripura and Assam. The delegate cards are available at the venues for the convenience of the viewers, informs Kanak Chandra Kalita, secretary of the club. |
| Popular videos Bihu-based video films Aaimoni and  Moinajan, released recently, have drawn much attention from the viewers. The concept and planning of these two films are by Nurul Sultan. Both the films are directed by Jadumoni Dutta. The story, screenplay and dialogue of Aaimoni are written by Munin Barua, while those of Moinajan are written by Dipak Kumar Gogoi. Jayanta Sonowal has directed the music for both and Zubeen Garg has sung for the films. The other singers include Krishnamoni Nath, Bhitali Das, Chayanika Bhuyan, Nirmali Das and Dikshu.Popular actress Aaimee Barua plays the lead role in both the films. The other artistes in Aaimoni are Ravi Sarma, Prosenjit, Minu Bania, Padmarag Goswami, Dilipranjan Dutta, Srimanta Madhav Dutta, Nazrana Jima Sultana, Parinandhi Jima Sultana and Jadumoni Dutta, while the Moinajan cast includes Raag Oinitam, Dipak Kumar Gogoi, Ankita Saikia, Chetana Das and others. Jiten Boro has handled the camera for both the films. The choreography is by Sailen Ramsiary and Shantumoni Sarma. The audio cassettes and CDs of the songs of both the films have also gained popularity. |
| Nostalgic trip It was a nostalgic trip down memory lane  for those who recently had the privilege of listening to late Dilip Sarma and Sudhakshina Sarma in an album. The songs in Ami Je Jatri Eai Alokpathar spoke of labour, struggle, strife, sweat, tears and all such things that encompass humanity. Many of the songs have leftist leanings. This is in keeping with the beliefs and ideology that the great songwriter, singer-composer late Dilip Sarma had embraced and embodied as a way of life throughout his eventful artistic career. It is heartening and indeed praiseworthy that a group of their admirers has kept memories of media shy artistes like late Dilip Sarma and his widow, Sudakshina Sarma, still alive. (Input by Meenakshi Gautam) |
Apurba Kumar Das