BVFF 2023 | Festival director Tanushree Hazarika on how BVFF is a valley of hope for cinematic voices from the Northeast

Tanushree Hazarika talks about the new developments from this year’s Brahmaputra Valley Film Festival and how a bunch of small developments end up making a huge positive impact

As you step in and talk to people inside the Jyoti Chitrabon Film Studio in Guwahati, you begin to see the Brahmaputra Valley Film Festival (BVFF) as a valley that gathers hope for the cinema from the Northeast, a region of the country whose creations are yet to get its due limelight in the national arena. And you see that same hope, grit and optimism in the festival director and coordinator Tanushree Hazarika when she says that things are changing rapidly and there’s space for everyone in the world of cinema.

BVFF, which is returning with its 8th edition, is one such effort that aims to provide a platform for the filmmaking talent from these states. “For a lot of these filmmakers, there aren’t enough opportunities, be it in the business side of things or networking within the region. The idea is that a festival like this, at home, in Guwahati, with nationally and internationally recognised guests, will create a hub here. Going forward, many people from across the country would look forward to coming here, interacting with others and learning about movies. We want to become the most sought-after festival,” says Tanushree.

Contrary to what most would assume, organising a festival, Tanushree, says, only seems to get easier as years go on. “The kind of encouragement and response we have been getting from the community has been keeping us going.” The amount of entries that the festival has received - a whopping 200 - is a sign that things are in the right direction, she adds. “Earlier, we had opened our Competition segment - in which people submit films from the last two years that are yet to see a release commercially - only for the Northeast. This time, we opened it to the whole country and we have had entries in Marathi, Tulu, Hindi, and other languages as well. Our internal assessment team and our excellent line-up of jurors have helped us select movies from these entries to be screened at the festival.”

Ask her if the OTT boom, the post-pandemic impacts on mainstream cinema and the ‘pan-India’ phenomenon have become roadblocks to the growth of indie and Northeastern cinema and Tanushree says, “I don’t think they are competing with each other; they are just making the universe bigger. A lot of filmmakers from these states are putting up their films on OTTs, and they are making profits.” Every year, once the hustle and bustle from organising a festival of this scale ends, the biggest takeaway for Tanushree has been in the sense of community that the festival helps build. “The kind of talks and discussions that happen here really excite me. That tells you that you are making a little difference, helping connect people.”

There’s something else that’s special about this edition of the BVFF. “My biggest takeaway this year will be our association with Prime Video because 12 pitches are going to be pitched to the streamer. That makes a big difference because only a handful of people will be able to travel, network, and find opportunities to pitch stories,” she adds. At a time when many feel that cinematic voices from such untapped pockets of the country ‘needed to be saved’, Tanushree’s optimism serves as a reminder that cinema was never dependent on anyone to be saved. Art always finds a way.

The writer is in Jyoti Chitrabon Film Studio, Guwahati, Assam, at the invitation of the Brahmaputra Valley Film Festival