IMPHAL, Dec 17: The 2nd North East India Film Festival (NEIFF) 2025 will be held in February 2025 in Imphal. This event will be organized by THOUNA, Manipur in association with Film Forum Manipur and Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), Government of Manipur under the sponsorship of Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India and National Film Development Corporation.
The event aims to bring together filmmakers and producers from the eight North Eastern States—Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura—to celebrate and showcase their cinematic brilliance.
Y Nilachandra Singh, chairman of the Organizing Committee for the 2nd NEIFF 2025, while addressing the media today in Imphal, emphasized the growth and expanded scope of the festival. He pointed out that while the 1st NEIFF 2024, held from March 3 to 7, 2024, featured only feature films, the upcoming edition will include both Feature Films and Non-Feature Films in accordance with the guidelines of the Ministry of information and broadcasting. He further announced that a minimum of 25 films are expected to be screened during the festival, providing audiences with a richer and more diverse cinematic experience.
He explained that feature films will have a duration of 72-180 minutes, while non-feature films will have a duration of 30 minutes or below. All films must be certified by CBFC during the period from January 1 to December 31, 2024. Additionally, exceptional films beyond the planned 25, including those without censor board certification, will be screened under the non-competition section.
Y Nilachandra Singh announced that the festival will be held from February 12 to February 16, 2025, at Tantha Polis Cinema, Lamphel in Imphal. The event will have 8 award categories along with a special mention award, all of which will be selected by an esteemed jury. The award categories are best feature film, best director of feature film, best screenplay of feature film, best cinematography of feature film, best editing of feature film, best sound of feature film, the jury award of feature film and best non-feature film.
He further announced that film entries are now open, with the last date for online applications and film submissions set for January 15, 2025. The tentative date for the announcement of selected films is January 31, 2025. The inaugural function will be held at the Manipur Dance Academy, while film screenings will commence from the second day of the festival, he added. (NNN)