**Executive Summary**
The 19th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF 2026), held from June 15 to 21, 2026, features a specially curated section dedicated to short fictions and documentaries from North-East India. This initiative showcases the region's rich traditions, ecological tapestry, and diverse local languages to a global audience. Journalists and content creators are invited to coordinate with the festival's media desk for filmmaker interactions via a dedicated email address.
**Key Points / Main Content**
**Curated Section Overview**
* The section focuses on films from North-Eastern states, including works in Khasi, Nagamese, Ao, Kokborok, Bhutia, Assamese, Manipuri, and Mizo.
* Content themes emphasize heritage, identity, resilience, and the evolving relationship between nature and community life.
**Documentary Highlights**
* **Social and Historical Narratives:** *Lentina Ao - A Light on the Eastern Horizon* chronicles the life of a Naga social worker, while *Teens of 1942* pays tribute to teenage freedom fighters in Assam.
* **Cultural Identity:** *My Last Face: Flat-Nose* examines the Reang community of Tripura through their traditional attire, and *Shangrila - The Hidden Paradise* explores the lesser-known history and culture of Sikkim.
* **Conservation:** *Manipur Brow Antlered Deer (Sangai)* documents the struggle of an endangered species against the backdrop of the region's socio-political realities and floating grasslands.
**Short Fiction Highlights**
* **Family and Tradition:** *Ka Pateng* explores sibling dynamics and secrets in a Khasi-language drama.
* **Belief Systems:** *The Healing Priest (Puithiam)* bridges past and present by examining ancient Mizo healing rituals versus contemporary medical anxieties.
**Media and Public Engagement**
* High-quality photos and press releases are available via a dedicated digital link.
* The festival encourages social media engagement through specific tags and hashtags.
**Impact Analysis**
**Festival Audiences**
**Impact**
Viewers are introduced to a "vibrant mosaic" of North-Eastern Indian heritage and languages, fostering a deeper understanding of the region's specific historical and ecological contexts.
**Action Required**
Attend screenings during the festival dates of June 15 to 21, 2026.
**Journalists, Bloggers, and Vloggers**
**Impact**
Media professionals gain direct access to filmmakers for interviews and interactive sessions to broaden their coverage of regional cinema.
**Action Required**
Contact the media desk at miff.mediadesk@pib.gov.in with the subject line "Take One with PIB."
**General Public / Social Media Users**
**Impact**
The public serves as a promotional arm for the festival, helping to amplify the "passionate voices" of regional cinema.
**Action Required**
Share festival experiences using the hashtag #MIFF2026 and tag @pibmumbai on X.
Key Entities Referenced
19th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF 2026): The primary biennial event hosting a specially curated section to showcase short fictions and documentaries from India’s North-East.
North-East India: The central geographic region of focus for the festival’s special curation, encompassing various states and indigenous languages.
National Film Development Corporation Ltd. (NFDC): The primary agency responsible for producing and promoting several of the key films featured in the festival's North-East section.
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting: The parent ministry overseeing the organization of the festival and the development of the Indian film industry.
Many Voices, One Region:
19th MIFF curates special
section to showcase films
from North-East India
From Khasi Hills to Manipur’s Floating
Grasslands, MIFF 2026 upholds rich
traditions, historical, and ecological tapestry
of India’s North-East
Mumbai, 17 June 2026
The 19th Mumbai International Film Festival (MIFF 2026), being held from June 15 to 21, 2026, has a
specially curated section dedicated to short fictions and documentaries coming from the culturally-rich
north- eastern states. These films showcase the rich traditions, historical, and ecological tapestry of
India’s North-East. Through portraits of remarkable individuals, enduring traditions, varying
communities, and landscapes under change, these films reveal the many voices that define India’s
North-East. Made in local languages like Khasi, Nagamese, Ao, Kokborok, Bhutia, Assamese, Manipuri
and Mizo, these films introduce festival audiences to the vibrant mosaic of heritage, identity, resilience,
and nature that continues to shape the rhythms of everyday life in the region.
KA PATENG (Khasi)
Directed by Sankirang L. Khongwir and produced by Ponvishal Chidambaranathan for the
National Film Development Corporation Ltd., KA PATENG is a 30-minute Khasi-language short
fiction film from India (2023).
The film unfolds in the aftermath of a mother’s death, which brings three estranged siblings back
together under the same roof after years of separation. The oldest brother returns after a long stay in
the city, the middle child carries the weight of a painful childhood memory, and the youngest sister
harbours a secret that makes her doubt her imminent motherhood.LENTINA AO - A LIGHT ON THE EASTERN HORIZON (English, Nagamese, Ao)
This 2023 documentary, directed by Sanjib Parasar and Nilakshi Medhi and produced by the
National Film Development Corporation Ltd., is presented in English, Nagamese, and Ao. The
film chronicles the extraordinary life and legacy of Lentina Ao, a social worker who dedicated herself
to the welfare and upliftment of the Naga people. Beginning her journey in 1955 as a midwife in the
remote Naga Hills, Lentina Ao devoted decades to serving her community, often confronting social
injustices, entrenched prejudices, and personal hardships.MY LAST FACE: FLAT-NOSE (MY LAST FACE: KUNGBARA) (Kokborok, Kaubru)
This 2024 documentary, directed by Sujit Debbarma and Pranab Jyoti Deka and produced by
Pranab Jyoti Deka, Dilip Debbarma, and Sujit Debbarma, is presented in the Kokborok and
Kaubru languages. Set against the verdant landscapes of Tripura, the film explores the rich cultural
heritage of the Reang community through its traditional attire and ornaments. More than mere
adornments, these garments and ornaments serve as enduring symbols of beauty, spirituality, identity,
and protection, carrying stories, beliefs, and ancestral knowledge across generations. By documenting
these living traditions, the film offers a nuanced insight into the community’s cultural practices and the
vital role they play in preserving collective memory and identity.SHANGRILA - THE HIDDEN PARADISE [Sikkimese (Bhutia)]
This 2025 documentary, directed by Samten Bhutia and produced by the National Film
Development Corporation Ltd., is a 90-minute film in the Sikkimese (Bhutia) language. Set in
the Himalayan state of Sikkim, sheltered by the majestic Mount Kanchenjunga, the film goes
beyond the region’s internationally celebrated landscapes and tourism appeal to explore its lesser-
known history, culture, and geography. Through a deeper examination of the state’s heritage and
identity, the documentary offers a compelling portrait of a land whose rich legacy remains largely
unexplored.TEENS OF 1942 (BIYALLISAR LARALI)(Assamese)
The 2023-made Assamese documentary “Teens of 1942” is directed by Samiran Deka and
produced by Samiran Deka and Bhaskar Jyoti Das. Created as a tribute to 75 years of India’s
independence, the film celebrates the extraordinary patriotism of teenage freedom fighters
Bholanath Nagaria and Radha Bora. Through a sensitive reconstruction of their fragmented
memories, the documentary honours these valiant yet unsung heroes, preserving their stories and
inspiring future generations with their courage, sacrifice, and commitment to the nation’s freedom
struggle.THE HEALING PRIEST (PUITHIAM) (Mizo)
This 2026 Mizo-language short fiction film, directed by Napoleon RZ Thanga, is a 9-minute
exploration of tradition, belief, and contemporary anxieties. Drawing on the ancient Mizo healing ritual
of Daibawl, in which a Puithiam (healing priest) performed ceremonies and hung a Lenglep to
ward off evil spirits believed to cause illness, the film bridges past and present. It follows a frustrated
young man searching for a way to cure his ailing father, reflecting on the tension between traditional
healing practices and modern desires for health and well-being. Through this narrative, the film offers
a glimpse into Mizo cultural heritage and enduring beliefs surrounding illness and healing.MANIPUR BROW ANTLERED DEER (SANGAI) (Manipuri and English)
This 2025 documentary, directed by Akanksha Sood Singh and produced by Roshni Nadar
Malhotra and Rushikesh Atmaram Chavan, is a 30-minute bi-lingual film made in Manipuri and
English. It follows the story of the Sangai, the endangered deer subspecies that has become the
iconic symbol of Manipur state. Set against the backdrop of a region shaped by ethnic and political
tensions, the documentary captures the graceful animal moving through the state’s unique floating
grasslands while highlighting its long struggle for survival. Through the Sangai’s story, the film reflects
on the fragile relationship between wildlife, habitat conservation, and the socio-political realities of the
region.Click here to access the press releases and high-quality photos of daily events at MIFF.
* * *
PIB Team MIFF | Mahesh Kumar/Sriyanka Chatterjee/Darshana Rane
Great films resonate through passionate voices. Share your love
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help spread your passion! For journalists, bloggers, and vloggers
wanting to connect with filmmakers for interviews/interactions,
reach out to us at miff.mediadesk@pib.gov.in with the subject
line: Take One with PIB.
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