The third edition of the North East India Film Festival (NEIFF) 2026 will be held in Manipur on March 21 and 22, providing a platform for filmmakers from across the eight Northeastern states to showcase their works.
The announcement was made during a press conference held in Imphal today, inviting filmmakers and producers from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura to submit their entries for the competitive film festival.
The festival is being organized by THOUNA, Manipur in association with the Department of Information and Public Relations (DIPR), Government of Manipur, and the All Manipur Film Producers Association. It is sponsored by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, and the National Film Development Corporation.
According to the organizers, the festival aims to encourage the production of films with aesthetic and technical excellence while highlighting the social and cultural diversity of communities in the Northeast. It also seeks to promote understanding and appreciation of traditional cultures through cinema while strengthening unity and integrity.
The two-day festival will feature both feature and non-feature films produced in the region and certified by the Central Board of Film Certification between January 1 and December 31, 2025.
Awards will be presented in several categories including Best Feature Film, Best Non-Feature Film, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, Best Sound, and Best Screenplay of a Feature Film. A special Jury Award will also be conferred, while the jury may grant special mentions at its discretion.
Winners will receive citations, statuettes, and cash prizes. The festival will not charge any entry fee for film submissions.
Online applications for film entries opened on March 9, while the last date for submission is March 19 till 5 pm. The festival will be held at TanthaPolis Cinema, Lamphel.
All entries are to be submitted to the NEIFF 2026 Cell at TanthaPolis Cinema, Lamphel. Further details, including entry forms and rules, are available on the official website.
Festival Director Irjakanta Sharma, Additional Joint Director of DIPR T. Ramesh Singh, and Organising Committee Chairman Y. Nilachandra Singh attended the press conference.
