STAFF REPORTER
Guwahati: Trending Now Media has announced the Altaf Mazid Youth Documentary Fellowship 2025-2026, an initiative aimed at supporting young and emerging documentary filmmakers from across India with a special focus on Northeast India.
Instituted in collaboration with the family of late filmmaker Altaf Mazid, the fellowship seeks to uphold his vision of using documentary cinema as a medium to preserve voices and stories that often go unheard. The selected filmmaker will receive a grant of Rs 1 lakh to support the production of a short documentary under 30 minutes, highlighting cultural, social, or historical themes from the region.
Dr Zabeen Ahmed, wife of Altaf Mazid, said, "Altaf always deeply believed that documentary cinema can preserve those voices that usually go unheard. Through this fellowship, we hope to carry forward his vision-inspiring young storytellers to look more deeply into their own world, their own people, and their own truths."
The fellowship is open to Indian filmmakers aged 22 to 30 years, either individually or as part of a team. While prior filmmaking experience is preferred, it is not mandatory. The deadline for submissions is November 30, 2025.
In its 2024-25 editions, the fellowship was awarded to Kalpajyoti Bhuyan for his film 'Dreams of a Forgotten Past', which explored the history of single-screen theatre halls in Guwahati.
Also Read: 3rd Edition Of Northeast International Documentary And Film Festival To Be Held In Guwahati