The event turned into a vibrant gathering of filmmakers, film enthusiasts, and cinema lovers from across the Northeast and beyond, creating a space of rich cultural exchange and cinematic celebration.

The festival began with paying heartfelt tributes to Dr. Bhupen Hazarika, Zubeen Garg, and Lt. Bipula Nanda Bora, Chairperson of Red Cardinal Motion Pictures, followed by the “Bhupen-Zubeen Quiz.” Bhabajyoti Das won the first prize, while Pranab Jyoti Gogoi and Nishikesh Parashar jointly received the second prize, and Nishigandha Anubhavi and Rajpratim Choudhury took third place.

The festival then moved into a grand lineup of short and documentary film screenings, including a special screening of “Anchuni Cheekhen” by Dr. Partha Sarathi Mahanta.

A beautiful souvenir titled “SPOTLIGHT” was inaugurated by Sujya Hazarika in the presence of Ravi Sharma, Dr. Partha Sarathi Mahanta, Festival Director Saurav Dutta, Executive Director Mridupawan Bora, PR and Communication Head of NIDFF and senior journalist Pankaj Kumar Dutta, Bibhuti Bhushan Hazarika, Rakesh Changmai, and Ray Ahmed.

The highlight of the day was an insightful and power-packed open discussion on “Unlocking Markets: Theatre Released, OTT Reach and Festival Earnings of North East Cinema,” featuring a panel of film personalities including Rima Das, National Award-winning filmmaker; actor Ravi Sharma; filmmaker Suvrat Kakoti; filmmaker M. Moniram; National Award-winning filmmaker for Othello Hemanta Kumar Das; Dr. Muktisman Hazarika, Assistant Professor of Cotton University; filmmakers Kongkon Deka and Himjyoti Talukder; Kishore Sharma, faculty at Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Regional Film Institute; distributor Rajesh More; filmmaker and actor Kenny Basumatay; filmmaker Parvez Ahmed; filmmaker and actor Sanjib Hazarika; cine critic and writer Bitupan Borbora; filmmaker Monjul Bora; and producer Shyam Bora.

The panel was coordinated and moderated by cine writer, critic, and educator Dr. Dipsikha Bhagawati.

The discussion triggered powerful dialogues on the current ecosystem of Northeast cinema, its marketability, and opportunities across theatre, OTT, and festival platforms.

Filmmakers from Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and the Khasi film industry also marked their presence. The program was hosted by Sanghamitra Boruah.

One of the major highlights was the trailer release of Village Rockstar 2 in the presence of filmmaker Rima Das.
The films were evaluated by a distinguished jury comprising Parthajit Baruah, Meena Longjam, and Monjul Boruah, whose diverse cinematic perspectives and critical insights ensured a rigorous and thoughtful selection process.

The award ceremony recognised some of the most promising works and talents across categories. Best Feature Film was awarded to Sundarpur Chaos by Jhulan Krishna Mahanta, while Wide Angle by Jayanta Nath won the runner-up position and Amateurs by Dhiraj Kashyap secured the second runner-up. Expectations by Elvachia Ch. Sangma and Dipankar Das bagged Best Fiction Short Film, followed by Weeping Women by Mousumi Mahanta as second best and Knot by Abhay Pravin Gupta as third. A Chik Kol by Gregory Allya Warjri won Best Feature Documentary, and The Bleeding Tides by Ipshita Bhattacharjya was awarded Best Short Documentary.

The Best Director award went to Elvachia Ch. Sangma and Dipankar Das for Expectations, Best Actor to Partha Pratim Hazarika for Sundarpur Chaos, and Best Actress to Minakshi Kalita for Amateurs. Chandan Kumar Das won Best Cinematography for Sundarpur Chaos, Derrit P. Lindem received Best Editing for A Chik Kol, Pankaj Jyoti Bhutan earned Best Screenplay for Wide Angle, and Debojit Gayan won Best Sound Design for Sundarpur Chaos. Jury Awards included Best Actress to Jolly Laskar for Sundarpur Chaos, Best Director to Late Tarun Bharatiya for Roots Renewed, and Best Documentary to Sama in the Forest. The Late Pulin Chandra Hazarika Memorial Award for the Youngest Filmmaker of the Northeast was presented to Dhritimoy Mahanta for Raag Kalyan Taal Kharman.

The primary objective of NIDFF remains to foster creative collaboration, promote independent filmmaking, and provide a common platform for regional storytellers to reach national and global audiences, emphasising cultural identity and cinematic innovation.