Rajiv Gandhi University (RGU) will host the second Borderland Narratives: Festival of Films from Contemporary Northeast. The three-day event, which is being organized by the central varsity’s mass communication department and Arunachal Institute of Tribal Studies (AITS) in partnership with the Center for Cultural Research and Documentation (CCRD) and the Research Institute of World’s Ancient Traditions, Cultures, and Heritage (RIWATCH), promises to be a lively exhibition of Northeast India’s rich cultural and cinematic heritage.
The festival continues as a venue for regional storytelling and cultural representation after the success of its inaugural edition in 2019. Through a carefully chosen selection of regional feature films by well-known directors, such as Dominic Sangma (Rapture), Raymond Colney (MI BO), Pradip Kurbah (IEWDUH), Haobam Paban Kumar (Joseph’s Son), Sanjib Das (Rosewala), and Napoleon RZ Thanga (A Star is Born), this year’s event seeks to further highlight the varied narratives of Northeast India.
The festival will feature documentaries by Gyamar Karmey and Akom Don Emma, highlighting the Northeast’s unique traditions and heritage. The short film competition “Our Lives, Our Stories” encourages emerging filmmakers to document fading traditions. Masterclasses on editing, screenplay writing, and film finance will be offered. The festival also features a panel discussion on the Eight Rivers Coalition, bringing together distinguished panellists from the region’s film and media industry.
