Films from northeast take centrestage at Mumbai International Film Festival: Sikkim efforts welcomed.

Mumbai, Feb 9 : The ongoing 11th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF) has provided a platform for the filmmakers from country's insurgency hit northeastern states to showcase their hidden talents behind and in front of the camera.

The event being organized in collaboration of the Maharashtra Government will be screening a number of short films, documentaries and animation films from the region of the Seven Sisters.


The film festival, which was inaugurated by Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni on February 3, will conclude today (February 9).

When asked about the criteria for the selection of the films for the event, Chanoba Thiyam, a northeast based filmmaker whose film 'Eye for an I' is being screened, said: "I don't know, may be because people liked it. That's why they selected 10 films in the festival. For that I don't have a specific reason, why they choose that kind of films. May be we are kind of making good films."

The films have impressed people, who have appreciated them in terms of the varied subjects and treatment.

The variety of the films also reflects the heterogeneous cultures of the northeast.

"We don't know that area at all, so it was through the MIFF. The MIFF is giving us a platform through documentaries. The filmmakers come here. They are coming from Sikkim, they are coming from Imphal, they are coming from Arunachal Pradesh and they are coming from Mizoram and they are bringing some lovely movies," said Nita Vajpayee, a movie-goer at the MIFF.

The filmmakers of the trouble torn northeastern region of India have toiled against assorted odds to screen their creative and subjective projects at this festival.

Northeastern region is home to several tribes projecting the most colourful cultural and musical heritage of India despite separatist revolts over the past couple of decades demanding autonomous rule among others.

Amidst this scenario, filmmakers of the region have taken great pain to continue their passion for filmmaking.