Northeast representation to take centre stage at Hyderabad film festival

A film festival opening in Hyderabad next week will spotlight stories from India's northeast region, with the Governor of Telangana, Jishnu Dev Varma—himself hailing from the northeast—inaugurating the two-day event.

The Niri9 International Film Festival 2025, scheduled for January 10 and 11, 2025, will feature prominent voices from the region, including singer Lou Majaw and former Justice of Guwahati High Court Ajit Borthakur. The festival's programming reflects a commitment to amplifying narratives often overlooked in mainstream Indian cinema.

Among the festival's key selections is Kooki, directed by Pranab J Deka, which tackles sexual violence and systemic failures within the justice system. The film follows a teenage survivor's harrowing experience, forcing audiences to confront the normalisation of sexual crimes and hear voices typically silenced. It has emerged as one of contemporary Indian cinema's most confronting examinations of the subject.

The festival will open with Dahini - The Witch (2022), Rajesh Touchriver's supernatural thriller starring Tannishtha Chatterjee, JD Chakravarthy and Sruthy Jayan. The film has collected international accolades, including best feature film at the Titan International Film Festival and best international feature film at the Pacific Beach International Festival, whilst earning a nomination at the Swedish International Film Festival.

The Voice of Hind Rajab will also screen during the festival. Directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Kaouther Ben Hania (Four Daughters), the documentary reconstructs the final moments of six-year-old Hind Rajab in Gaza through actual emergency call recordings. Following premieres at Venice and Toronto, the film has been praised for its devastating testimony to cinema's capacity to preserve truth and memory.

Bollywood actor Seema Biswas and international singer Carlyta Mouhini will attend the festival alongside the other guests. The event brings together socially conscious cinema from India and abroad, creating space for stories that challenge audiences whilst showcasing diverse filmmaking voices.