First Guwahati Intertiol Film Festival from October 28

GUWAHATI, July 9: The GIFF (Guwahati Intertiol Film Festival) is being organized in Guwahati from October 28 and November 2, 2017 by Jyoti Chitraban (Film Studio) Society with support from the State Government and in association with Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Regiol Government Film and Television Institute.

The festival will take place at Guwahati at two locations – Srimanta Sankardev Kalakshetra and Jyoti Chitraban Film Studio.

The Assam Government is keen to ensure that the festival is an annual affair at the same place and on same dates.

Mr. Srinivasa Santham, one of the leading curators in the country, is the advisor-cum-curator-cum-programmer of the festival.

Ms Monita Borgohain, an officer of the Assam Civil Service who is a Joint Secretary with the Department of Cultural Affairs, is the Festival Director. She is a regular visitor to various film festivals across the country in pursuit of her love for cinema. She is also the secretary of Jyoti Chitraban (Film Studio) Society and Director (in-charge) of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika Regiol Film and Television Institute respectively.

Srinivasa Santham has been curating and programming various intertiol film festivals in the country since 2003.

Beginning with IFFI, which is the biggest film festival in the country, Santham has to his credit shouldered the responsibility of being the chief programmer of Mumbai Film Festival; advisor programmer for Cheni Intertiol Film Festival; Programme Director for Pune Intertiol Film Festival; advisor-cum-programmer for Lucknow Children Intertiol Film Festival and advisor-cum-curator-cum-programmer for the Bengaluru Intertiol Film Festival.

An alumnus of the Film & Television Institute of Tamil du, he worked in various capacities with Films Division and the Directorate of Films Festival where from he took voluntary retirement in 2008 having put in 14 years to that post.

He has visited intertiol film festivals, including Berlin, Cannes, Karlovy Vary, Munich, Tokyo, Melbourne, Vancouver, Fribourg, Rotterdam, Damascus, Brisbane, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangkok Montreal, Iran, Dubai, et al., in various capacity to enhance his understanding of cinema.