Celebrating the cinematic brilliance of Northeast: 8 award-winning films of 2023

Home to mesmerizing hills and good food, Northeast India is rich in the world of cinema. These are some of the best movies that won national and international accolades in the year 2023. From Nagaland's 'Ade (On A Sunday)' to Arunachal Pradesh's 'The Redemption', here is a look at the 10 award-winning films from Northeast India that won national and international accolades in 2023.

Movie	State
Ade (On A Sunday)	Nagaland
Fire on Edge	Tripura
Joseph’s Son	Manipur
Rapture	Meghalaya
Anur	Assam
Mau: The Spirit Dreams of Cheraw	Mizoram
Myth	Sikkim
The Redemption	Arunachal Pradesh

‘Ade (On A Sunday)’, Nagaland

The story of "Ade (On A Sunday)" takes place in 2002. Ade, eight years old, and his older friend Abu, who choose to skip Sunday school in favour of a fun-filled day of mischief, are the main characters in the story. Their carefree enjoyment eventually transforms into an unexpected journey, marking their first real experience with the difficulties of adulthood.

'Fire on Edge', Tripura

"Fire on Edge" is a non-feature film that was conducted fully in the West Karbi Anglong of Assam. It centres on Tawi culture's daily existence. The movie wins a prize at the 69th National Film Festival as well. All of the actors in the Tiwa-language movie are native to the Assamese villages of Karbi Anglong. The West Karbi Anglong area served as the backdrop for the filming site. Additionally, the film was chosen for the Indian Northeast Documentary Film Festival as well as the 28th Kolkata International Film Festival.

'Joseph’s Son', Manipur 

A young adolescent who has not gone home to Manipur due to ethnic tensions and insurgency is the subject of the narrative "Joseph's Son." "Joseph's Son" debuted at the KIFF with its Indian premiere. In a statement released by Meghachandra Kongbam, president of the Film Society of Manipur, it was also included in the Indian Cinema Now section of the 28th International Film Festival of Kerala 2023, which took place from December 8 to 15, at Thiruvananthapuram. Six other films had also been chosen by a jury. shown at the 29th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) in 2023 among eleven other films in Indian languages. 

‘Rapture’, Meghalaya 

Rapture, the second feature film directed by Dominic Megam Sangma, who is based in Meghalaya, has been selected for an international competition at the prestigious Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland, which runs from August 2 to 12, 2023. This 127-minute movie, whose original title was Rimdogittanga, was written and directed by Sangma. This film, which was jointly produced by India, China, Switzerland, and Qatar, has screened at prestigious film festivals like Film Bazaar, Tokyo Talents (producer), BoostNL, and Berlinale Talents (director), as well as La Fabrique du Cinema in 2020. In 2019, the famous Hubert Bals Fund - Script Development and Vision Sud Est - Production Fund both provided funds for Rapture. It received the Doha Film Institute - Post-production grant in 2022. The film, which is typical of his style of filmmaking, explores the themes of superstition and dread in a way that combines dreams and reality to tell the tale of a community where cicadas erupt from the ground once every four years. The narrator is a young child.

'Anur', Assam

The movie stars acclaimed actor Rajat Kapoor, as well as Boloram Das, Jahanara Begum, Udayan Duarah, Bibhuti Bhushan Hazarika, Rajjashree Sharma, and Bidya Bharati. The narrative is about an elderly widow, who is a retired teacher and lives alone in the house constructed by her late husband. The house is everything to her and everything related to it is inextricably linked to the memories of her spouse that she takes with her through her lonely days and nights. The Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, on behalf of the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala, hosts IFFK, one of India's most prestigious film festivals. It won Best Assamese film award at the 69th National Film Awards.

'Myth', Sikkim 

'Myth', which has been chosen for an official screening at the Himalayan Film Festival in 2023, tells the tale of Kursongmit, a contemporary, intelligent lady who lives in a secluded Sikkimese tribal group called Lepcha. Kursongmit secretly carries the essence of a shaman, a Khandro. Troubled by mysterious nightmares that keep coming back, she goes back to her village determined to figure out what they represent. She sets off on a quest of spiritual enlightenment and self-discovery, asking a strange village shaman for advice. Myth: A Fictional Tribal Film delves into the conflict between contemporary doubt and antiquated customs, following Kursongmit as she unearths personal secrets and accepts her fate, deeply believing in karma and the close bond between her tribal heritage and the natural world. 

'Mau: The Spirit Dreams of Cheraw', Mizoram

A Mizoram performance documentary called "The Spirit Dreams of Cheraw," which debuted at the International Film Festival in Goa, Mau, uses ceremonial customs and Cheraw (Bamboo dance) to unearth the mother's long-lost memories before she passes away after giving birth. In the film, the mother spirit performs a reinvented dance.

'The Redemption', Arunachal Pradesh

Arunachal Pradesh's film industry is celebrating a historic milestone with the release of The Redemption, a highly praised Galo feature film that has garnered 12 top honours and established itself as a formidable force on the national and international cinema circuit. This engrossing story has transcended boundaries to garner recognition and appreciation at several film festivals. It is intertwined with fascinating tales and regional nuances. Its triumph conveys a potent message of artistic excellence and cultural relevance on a broad scale, signifying not just a major achievement for the filmmakers but also a new beginning for the burgeoning Arunachal film industry.