HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Oct 11: The final day of the SOUL Docu-Fiction Film Festival & Competition 2025, themed Stories of Unity, Land & Culture, concluded with a vibrant celebration of cinema, creativity, and cultural pride.
The three-day festival, which brought together filmmakers, producers, and audiences from across the Northeast, showcased the region’s rich heritage through the powerful medium of docu-fiction storytelling.
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The morning opened with an Open Forum Discussion at 10:30 AM in the Video Conferencing Hall, where filmmakers and producers exchanged ideas, shared experiences, and explored cinema’s role in preserving the traditions, rituals, and roots of their communities.
Each participant was felicitated with a memento, uranid, and the SOUL festival bag, tokens symbolizing gratitude, recognition, and the joy of collective participation.
The atmosphere was marked by warmth, laughter, and a shared sense of pride in being part of an initiative dedicated to unity through storytelling.
The festival’s Closing and Award Ceremony took place at Rudra Bhawan in the afternoon, beginning with the lighting of a ceremonial diya in remembrance of the legendary singer Zubeen Garg, followed by a moving musical tribute as the audience joined together to sing Mayabini.
The hall resonated with love, nostalgia, and the deep bond between art, music, and the land.
Eminent personalities graced the ceremony, including Shri Vidyasagar Borah, Chairman of Jyoti Chitraban, who inaugurated the event; Rahul Das, Director of Cultural Affairs, Assam; acclaimed actor Arun Hazarika; and Binita Bhagawati, Sampadika of Seemanta Chetana Mancha Purvottar.
The Festival Director paid a heartfelt tribute to Zubeen Da, calling him “a diamond whose voice will forever echo in the heart of Assam.”
Monita Burhagohain, Festival Curator, highlighted the significance of the festival in building bridges across generations, cultures, and communities, stating, “The purpose of SOUL is not just to screen films, but to tell our stories and preserve who we are.”
The jury shared their reflections, describing the experience of selecting winners among the exceptional entries as both challenging and inspiring.
The SOUL Awards 2025 were announced as follows: Dr Muktismaan Hazarika received a Jury Special Award for The Last Plough, while Suraj Kumar Duwarah also received a Jury Special Award for Bhoomi: The Pulse of Life.
Niharajan Gogoi was awarded Best Cinematography for Boi Phra, and Shilpika Bordoloi won Best Director for Mau: The Spirit Dreams of Cheraw.
The third-best docu-fiction film award went to Papai Nalo for Binyat, the second-best to Alakesh Pathak for Baikho: The Last Dance of Spring, and the Best Docu-Fiction Film award was presented to Hirokjyoti Hazarika for Isti (Behind the Rain).
Prize money was also distributed, with the first prize winner receiving ₹1 lakh, second prize ₹75,000, third prize ₹50,000, Best Cinematography ₹25,000, and Best Camerawork ₹20,000.
In the evening, the audience was treated to screenings of all seven award-winning films, reliving the passion, creativity, and cultural essence that inspired each work.
The screenings were met with enthusiastic applause, marking a fitting conclusion to a festival that celebrated both the art of filmmaking and the stories of the land.
The closing ceremony emphasized unity, collective pride, and cultural continuity, with Festival Chairman Sri Pradeep Kumar, IPS (Retd) highlighting that SOUL stands as a testament to the power of cinema in connecting hearts and communities.
As the festival concluded, it left attendees inspired, reminding all that storytelling is not merely about watching films but about feeling the pulse of our land, our people, and our shared heritage.
The festival celebrated the spirit of storytelling, the soul of the land, and the enduring message that cinema can be a bridge between cultures, generations, and communities, echoing Vidyasagar’s words: “Tradition is like the thread flowing in a river.”
