Guwahati to host 10th Chalachitram National Film Festival on Oct 24-25
Babushahi Bureau
Guwahati (Assam), June 28, 2026: The 10th edition of the Chalachitram National Film Festival (CNFF) 2026 will be held on October 24 and 25 at the Jyoti Chitraban Film Studio premises in Kahilipara, Guwahati, bringing together filmmakers, critics and cinema enthusiasts from across the country.
Organised by Chalachitram, a subsidiary of Vishwa Samvad Kendra (VSK), Assam, the festival aims to promote films highlighting nationalism, India’s ancient civilisation, cultural heritage and social values. Selected films will be honoured with trophies, certificates and cash prizes in the presence of noted personalities from the film fraternity.
Launched in 2017 as the Guwahati Film Festival, the event was renamed the Chalachitram National Film Festival in 2019. The festival revolves around the theme “Our Heritage, Our Pride”, encouraging films on subjects including Indian heritage, freedom movement heroes, mythology, national integration, women empowerment, environment, indigenous communities, traditional arts, handicrafts, yoga, Ayurveda, tourism and cultural preservation.
The competition is open to both professional and emerging filmmakers. Entries must be between one and 25 minutes in duration and produced between September 1, 2025, and September 1, 2026.
The festival will present awards in two categories. The North East India section will honour the 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.
Filmmakers can submit their entries directly to the CNFF office via chalachitramne@gmail.com or through FilmFreeway. The festival has announced three submission windows: Early Bird (June 10-30) with no entry fee, Regular (July 1-20) with a fee of ₹500, and the Final Deadline (July 20-September 2) with a fee of ₹1,000.
The previous edition of CNFF showcased more than 30 short films and documentaries exploring themes such as ageing, family values, environmental conservation, social inequality, indigenous traditions, mental health, differently-abled children, folk culture and India’s rich civilisational legacy.
Organisers Kishor Shivam, Secretary of VSK Assam, Nava Thakuria, President of CNFF, and Bhagawat Pritam, Secretary of the festival, said the event aims to encourage budding filmmakers to use cinema as a medium for social transformation while fostering patriotism, cultural awareness and inclusive development.