Manipuri film ‘Joseph’s Son’ wins Best Film in 1st edition of Guwahati Asian Film Festival 2025

Guwahati, Feb. 10: The first edition of the Guwahati Asian Film Festival (GAFF) 2025 ended on Sunday with Haobam Paban Kumar’s film ‘Joseph’s Son’ winning the Best Film award at the closing ceremony which was held before the screening of the closing film ‘My Melbourne’ by directors Imtiaz Ali, Rima Das, Onir and Kabir Khan.

Organised at the Jyoti Chitraban Film Studio, Guwahati from February 7-9, the landmark event witnessed participation of top filmmakers, film enthusiasts, creators, and industry professionals. Internationally acclaimed Sri Lankan filmmaker Prasanna Vithanage, Indian theatre and film actor Sheeba Chaddha, filmmaker Onir, and several others participated in discussion sessions throughout the past three days at GAFF.

On Sunday, filmmaker Onir participated in an open discussion on activism, cinema as a reflection of society, and the representation of LGBTQ+ narratives in film. In an engaging session with journalist Mrinal Talukdar, Onir spoke about his struggles as an out and proud filmmaker, despite winning multiple accolades, including the National Award. He highlighted the challenges of navigating censorship and societal pressures while addressing LGBTQ+ themes in his films.

Later in the evening, during the closing ceremony, the special competitive section which was exclusively for films from Northeast India, recognized outstanding achievements in categories including Best Film, Best Direction, and Best Performance, celebrating creativity, technical excellence, and storytelling. Six films from the Northeast, representing diverse voices and cinematic excellence from the region, competed for the top honours at the festival.

Haobam Paban Kumar’s Manipuri film ‘Joseph’s Son’ won the Best Film while the best director award went to Shrutismriti Changkakoti for her film ‘Before Spring’. Rewben Mashangva won the Best Music for ‘Joseph’s Son’. Best Screenplay award went to Amardeep Gogoi for ‘Collage’, Best Editing award went to Rantu Chetia for ‘Ata Nirjon Duporiya’, Best Performance to Deepjyoti Kakati for ‘Before Spring’, Best Sound Design to Kalesh Laxman and Bambi for ‘Before Spring’ and Best Cinematography to Jayanth Mathavan for ‘Before Spring’. The Jury Special Mention for Performance went to Minakshi Kalita for the film ‘Amateurs’ and the Jury Special Mention for Cinematography to Nahid Ahmed for the film ‘Collage’.

Speaking about the festival, Monita Borgohain, honorary festival director of GAFF 2025, said: “It was brilliant to see hundreds of film lovers interacting and exchanging ideas over the past few days. The energy, passion, and enthusiasm for cinema have been truly inspiring. I am deeply grateful to all the filmmakers, artists, volunteers, and audiences who made GAFF 2025 such a vibrant and meaningful experience. This festival is not just about films; it’s about creating a platform for cultural exchange and storytelling that transcends borders. We look forward to an even bigger and more exciting edition next year!”

GAFF 2025 was organized by Trending Now Media, powered by GMDA and co-powered by Indian Oil, NRL, Oil India Limited, Assam Tourism, Bodoland Tourism, Sony, Nikon, Purabi Dairy, Life’s Purple PR, Travels Pro and Modern English School and Priya Communication as outdoor promotion partner.

The festival showcased a dynamic and diverse selection of films from across Asia, offering a platform for cultural exchange and artistic dialogue. GAFF 2025 featured a curated selection of 25 feature films from over 200 submissions from across Asia, representing countries such as Iran, Nepal, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Bangladesh, Hong Kong, Azerbaijan, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Turkey.

- By Staff Reporter