[Mingkeng Osik]
PASIGHAT, 26 Nov: The second edition of the Film & Television Festival of Arunachal concluded here in East Siang district on Tuesday, highlighting local storytelling and cultural expression.
This year’s festival embraced the theme “Back to the Roots: Celebrating Local Stories, Global Impact,” highlighting regional cinema’s role in shaping identity, culture, and global awareness.
Apart from film screening, literary activities, including art, essay and poetry competitions were organized on the theme “My Arunachal on the Big Screen: How Films Shape the Future of Arunachal Youth.” These competitions aimed to encourage young talents to explore filmmaking, storytelling and creative expression.
Forest Corporation chairman Nalong Mize praised Film and Television Guild of Arunachal (FTGA) for showcasing creativity, talent, and cultural expression through the festival. Stressing that government support is crucial for the growth of the state’s film industry, Mize urged the state government to consider making the festival an annual calendar event.
Drawing comparisons between Bollywood and emerging film industries across India, he urged the youth of Arunachal to take inspiration from filmmakers in other states and strive for excellence.
“Our youths must look beyond boundaries, learn from the journeys of successful filmmakers across the country, and elevate Arunachal’s film industry to greater heights,” he added.
ABK president Tanon Tatak encouraged young people to envision a future in filmmaking and contribute to shaping Arunachal Pradesh into a vibrant hub for cinema.
“The future of Arunachal’s film industry lies in the hands of our youth. If they step forward with passion and dedication, our state can shine nationally,” he opined.
On the first day of the event, MLA Tapi Darang urged the youth to take up filmmaking and emphasized the importance of choosing the right path for a better future. He appealed to them to stay away from drugs.
Darang opined that the festival should be made a calendar event to inspire more participation and growth in the coming years.
BBK president Basalung Jamoh encouraged young people to take interest not just in watching films but also in pursuing filmmaking as a viable career.
Executive engineer Kaling Taking also addressed the gathering, encouraging the youth to explore careers in film and entrepreneurship.
Film & Television Guild of Arunachal president Mingkeng Osik highlighted the guild’s journey and its efforts to promote the state’s filmmaking talents.
He also spoke about festival’s growth and highlighted this year’s film categories, and urged aspiring youth to participate and contribute to the growth of Arunachal’s film industry.
‘Alfonso, the Re-incarnation,’ directed by Chau Adham Munglang, won the Kalikho Pul Film & Television Festival Award, 2025 for the best feature film.
‘Peming Lo: Bong A:bang & Dance of the Adis’, directed by Kaling Borang won the award for best documentary.
“The Last Attempt’, directed by Asha Apum, won the best short-film (theme based) award, while ‘Rust & Rain’, directed by Tsering Gombo Thungon, won the award of best short-film in the open category.
A workshop on filmmaking, photography and videography was also organized with Krishna Prasad and Chetan Limbu, and Dhonon Baruah as resource persons.
The second edition of the festival was organized by FTGA in collaboration with the department of IPR, East Siang, and sponsored by the North Eastern Council, Ministry of DoNER.
