Imphal: The third edition of the North East India Film Festival (NEIFF) 2026 will be held in Manipur’s capital city, Imphal on March 21 and 22.
Addressing a press conference in Imphal, Chairman of the organizing committee Y. Nilachandra Singh stressed that the film festival provides a platform for filmmakers across all Northeastern states to showcase their works.
He said that the festival has already been organised twice, in 2024 and 2025, and this year marks the third edition.
Singh said, “The festival dates were finalised recently after receiving necessary clearance from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. This time it has been a bit different as we were late in organising the festival due to the need for clarification from the sponsors and the ministry. In the first week of March, the ministry gave clearance, which is why we have fixed the dates for March 21 and 22.”
Eight awards will be presented during the festival, each carrying a citation, statuette and cash prize. The categories include Best Feature Film, Best Non-Feature Film, Best Director (Feature Film), Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sound, Best Screenplay (Feature Film) and the Hon’ble Jury Award. The jury may also confer a Special Mention on a film or an individual.
The organisers said there will be no entry fee for film submissions, with the last date for online application and submission of entries fixed for March 19, 2026, till 5 pm.
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The festival aims to encourage films with aesthetic and technical excellence while promoting social relevance and the diverse cultural narratives of the Northeastern region through cinema.
The organisers said the festival will be a competitive event featuring both feature and non-feature films produced in the Northeastern region and certified by the Central Board of Film Certification between January 1 and December 31, 2025. The event will take place at Tanthapolis Cinema in Lamphel, Imphal. It is being organised by THOUNA, Manipur, in collaboration with the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), Government of Manipur, and the All Manipur Film Producers Association, with sponsorship from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and the National Film Development Corporation.
