Guwahati, December 16: The ongoing Brahmaputra Valley Film Festival (BVFF) at Jyoti Chitraban in Guwahati is getting better each day. On Saturday, four feature films, two documentaries and two short films were presented in front of a packed audience.
From the Classic Kaleidoscope section, director Satyajit Ray’s Bengali feature film ‘Joi Baba Felunath’ was presented. The restored classic tells the story of a detective who embarks on a captivating suspenseful investigative journey with his cousin and a friend.
Later, director Shivadhwaj Shetty’s Tulu feature film ‘Koramma’ from the competition section was showcased. The film is set in the 1980s and unfolds the tale of ‘an untouchable’ breaking societal barriers.
In the afternoon, the India-premiere of Assamese feature film ‘Ojah- The Rhythm of Life’ was presented. The film by director Pranab Jyoti Sarmah is about Ojah, an ancient folk art from upper Assam. Set against local music and village backdrops, “Ojah, The Rhythm of Life” unfolds the untold story of Ranteshwar Ojah, an uncelebrated local artist.
The day ended with Manoj Shinde’s enthralling Marathi feature film ‘Valli’. Parallelly, the Brahmaputra Valley Film Festival (BVFF) hosted two short films during the day: ‘Pehla Cycle’ by director Ritika Chauhan and ‘Hymns from the Forest’ by director Pratik Maitra.
Director Utpal Borpujari’s documentary ‘Mask Art Of Majuli’ was presented during the day. ‘Mask Art of Majuli’ is featured abound the 500-year-old mask-making tradition in Majuli river island. It highlights the dying art which is a part of the Vaishnavaite Hindu culture of Assam, with an aim to rekindle interest about it among the younger generations.
Director Bobbeeta Sharma’s documentary ‘Jnanada: Reflections of Light and Shade’ from the competition section was also screened. It is a biographical documentary highlighting the illustrious career of Jnanada Kakati, a nonagenarian Assamese actor. Her cinematic journey began with “Parghat” in 1949, the seventh Assamese film, in a cinematic landscape born in 1935.
The grand stage also hosted talks on ‘Assamese Cinema & it’s commercial potential’ with panelists Utpal Borpujari, Jatin Bora, Barsha Rani Bishaya, Monjul Baruah and Shyam Bora. The intriguing session was moderated by Nandini Sharma.
Another highlight of the third day of the Brahmaputra Valley Film Festival (BVFF) was a panel discussion on ‘Mastering the Evolving Landscape of Web Series’ with panelists being director, writer and producer Krishna DK and Director, Novelist and Writer Suman Kumar.
The captivating session, moderated by senior journalist and Publicity Director, BVFF, Karma Paljor, discussed the nuances of making web series in the present-day cinematic world.
The finale day of the festival on December 17 promises even bigger lineup with the mega celebration of cinema. The film shows will begin at 11 am on Sunday while the finale award ceremony will be held at 5:15 pm.
