Guwahati, Jan 12: Assamese feature film Juiphool clinched the Dr Zubeen Garg Memorial Best Feature Film Award at the third edition of the Niri9 International Film Festival, which concluded in Hyderabad on January 11, 2026, marking a major achievement for cinema from Assam and the Northeast. The award, regarded as the festival’s highest honour, highlighted the growing national footprint of regional films from the region.
The two-day festival, hosted at Prasad Film Labs and Raj Bhavan Samskruti Auditorium, showcased a diverse selection of feature films, short films, shorter films and documentaries, with entries from across India and abroad. Films associated with Assam featured prominently among the winners, reflecting a strong creative presence at the event.
Among the standout titles, Dahini – The Witch emerged as one of the most decorated films of the festival. Rajesh Touchriver was named Best Director for the film, which also won awards for cinematography, editing and make-up. Juiphool added to its success by securing the award for Best Costume Design.
In the feature film segment, Ghar received the Second Best Feature Film award, while Dahini – The Witch was placed third. Kuhipath earned the Jury Special Award. Acting accolades went to Bishnu Khargoria for Akash Henu Nodir Nam and Akanksha Yadav for Ghar, while child artistes Nihar Kashyap, Sanidul Islam and Manik Ali were jointly honoured for their performances in Kuhipath.
The short film category saw Character take the top award, followed by Abaseshot and Manitha Subhvam. That Ugly Green Planet won Best Shorter Film. In documentaries, Golden Thread was adjudged Best Documentary Film, with The Elephant Haven and PAPA – From Darkness to the Light securing the second and third positions respectively.
The closing ceremony was attended by senior officials including M Dana Kishore, IAS, Special Chief Secretary to the Governor, and C Priyanka, Managing Director of the Telangana Film Development Corporation, alongside filmmakers, actors and film educators. The festival also featured a panel discussion on independent cinema, social change and evolving production and distribution models, drawing participation from cultural practitioners across regions.
Organisers said the strong response from Hyderabad’s film fraternity pointed towards potential future collaborations, especially with regional filmmakers. The Niri9 International Film Festival is organised by NIRI9, an OTT platform under NIRI Media (OPC) Private Limited, Guwahati.
