Cinema Library · Chronological film index
Northeast Film Index
46 starting points for study across eight states. Open a film for context, viewing questions, a craft exercise, related records and a responsible research path.
| Year | Title | Director | Language | State | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | JoymotiStudy film → | Jyotiprasad Agarwala | Assamese | Assam | First Assamese feature film; pioneered regional realism and established the makeshift Chitraban studio in a tea estate. |
| 1939 | IndramalatiStudy film → | Jyotiprasad Agarwala | Assamese | Assam | Second Assamese film; featured a young Dr. Bhupen Hazarika as a child actor. |
| 1948 | SirajStudy film → | Phani Sarma & Bishnu Prasad Rabha | Assamese | Assam | A landmark social drama advocating for communal harmony and national integration in post-partition India. |
| 1955 | Piyoli PhukanStudy film → | Phani Sarma | Assamese | Assam | Won the Certificate of Merit for Best Feature Film in Assamese at the 3rd National Film Awards; chronicled the life of the 19th-century revolutionary hero. |
| 1956 | Era Bator SurStudy film → | Bhupen Hazarika | Assamese | Assam | Directorial debut of Dr. Bhupen Hazarika; featured legendary playback singer Lata Mangeshkar's first Assamese recording. |
| 1959 | PuberunStudy film → | Prabhat Mukherjee | Assamese | Assam | First Assamese film to be screened at an international film festival (Berlin International Film Festival in 1960). |
| 1969 | Dr. BezbaruaStudy film → | Brajen Baruah | Assamese | Assam | The first commercial thriller and massive box office success in Assamese cinema, establishing the industry's commercial viability. |
| 1971 | SikkimStudy film → | Satyajit Ray | English / Nepali | Sikkim | A landmark documentary commissioned by the last Chogyal of Sikkim; banned for decades by the Indian government after Sikkim's merger. |
| 1972 | Matamgi ManipurStudy film → | Debkumar Bose | Manipuri | Manipur | The first Manipuri feature-length film; won the President's Silver Medal at the 20th National Film Awards. |
| 1975 | Romeo in SikkimStudy film → | Harikishen Kaul | Hindi | Sikkim | The first Hindi-language feature film shot in Sikkim; featured local actors and showcased Sikkim's landscapes. |
| 1977 | SandhyaraagStudy film → | Bhabendra Nath Saikia | Assamese | Assam | Directorial debut of Dr. Bhabendra Nath Saikia, inaugurating the realistic parallel cinema wave in Assam. |
| 1977 | Mera Dharam Meri MaaStudy film → | Bhupen Hazarika | Hindi | Arunachal Pradesh | The first feature film shot within the geographical boundaries of Arunachal Pradesh, featuring local tribal students as actors. |
| 1981 | Ka Synjuk Ri Ki Laiphew SyiemStudy film → | Hamlet Bareh Ngapkynta | Khasi | Meghalaya | The first feature-length film ever produced in the Khasi language. |
| 1981 | Imagi NingthemStudy film → | Aribam Syam Sharma | Manipuri | Manipur | First Indian film to win the Grand Prix (Golden Montgolfiere) at the Festival of Three Continents, Nantes (1982). |
| 1983 | PhubaStudy film → | Biakthan Sanga | Mizo | Mizoram | Cited as the first Mizo feature film; production details remain unverified in published sources and need confirmation. |
| 1984 | Manik RaitongStudy film → | Ardhendu Bhattacharya | Khasi | Meghalaya | The first colour film in the Khasi language; based on a popular Khasi folklore legend and selected for the Indian Panorama. |
| 1986 | LongtharaiStudy film → | Dipak Bhattacharya | Kokborok | Tripura | The first Kokborok-language feature film; adapted from Bimal Sinha's novel depicting the lives of indigenous jhum cultivators. |
| 1987 | Halodhia Choraye Baodhan KhaiStudy film → | Jahnu Barua | Assamese | Assam | Won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film (Swarna Kamal); a powerful critique of rural exploitation and feudal corruption. |
| 1990 | IshanouStudy film → | Aribam Syam Sharma | Manipuri | Manipur | Screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1991 Cannes Film Festival; restored by the Film Heritage Foundation in 2023 and screened at Cannes Classics. |
| 1992 | HaladharStudy film → | Sanjeev Hazarika | Assamese | Assam | Won the National Film Award for Best Debut Film of a Director (39th National Film Awards); used dark humor to critique rural socio-economic systems. |
| 1993 | Langmani HadukStudy film → | Ruhi Debbarma | Kokborok | Tripura | The second Kokborok feature film; noted for its critique of contemporary regimes and societal imbalances. |
| 1998 | Ka Mon BajwatStudy film → | Pradip Kurbah | Khasi | Meghalaya | The first commercial Khasi feature film; produced by Pomu Das, with Khasi songs sung by Bollywood singers Sonu Nigam and Mahalaxmi Iyer; ran nearly five months in Shillong theatres. |
| 2003 | Naga Story: The Other Side of SilenceStudy film → | Gopal Menon | English / Nagamese | Nagaland | A landmark documentary that comprehensively detailed the history and realities of the Naga political struggle. |
| 2004 | MathiaStudy film → | Joseph Pulinthanath | Kokborok | Tripura | The first Kokborok-language film to win international awards; focused on the eradication of the social evil of witch-hunting. |
| 2006 | SonamStudy film → | Ahsan Mazid | Monpa | Arunachal Pradesh | The first feature film in the Monpa language; set at 10,000+ feet in Tawang, exploring the polyandry practices of the Brokpa tribe. |
| 2007 | TyagStudy film → | Ranjit Singh | Nepali | Sikkim | The first Nepali-language feature film made entirely in Sikkim featuring an all-Sikkimese cast and crew. |
| 2008 | YarwngStudy film → | Joseph Pulinthanath | Kokborok | Tripura | Won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in a language other than those in Schedule VIII; depicted displacement caused by the Dumbur dam. |
| 2011 | Phijigee ManiStudy film → | Oinam Gautam Singh | Manipuri | Manipur | Won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Manipuri; highlighted family relations, migration and the impact of conflict. |
| 2012 | Khawnglung RunStudy film → | Mapuia Chawngthu | Mizo | Mizoram | A landmark Mizo epic action-drama based on true 19th-century historical events; the first Mizo film screened at an international film festival (opened the Northeast section at IFFI 2013). |
| 2013 | KathaaStudy film → | Prashant Rasaily | Nepali | Sikkim | A critically acclaimed indie film shot in high-altitude Himalayan pastures; noted for its minimalist aesthetics and emotional depth. |
| 2013 | Crossing BridgesStudy film → | Sange Dorjee Thongdok | Sherdukpen | Arunachal Pradesh | The first feature film in the Sherdukpen language; won the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Sherdukpen. |
| 2015 | The Head HunterStudy film → | Nilanjan Datta | Wancho | Arunachal Pradesh | The first feature film in the Wancho language; won the Best Wancho Film award at the 63rd National Film Awards. |
| 2015 | BokulStudy film → | Reema Borah | Assamese | Assam | Premiered at the Mumbai Film Festival 2015 and won five Assam State Film Awards; three rural characters, all named Bokul, frame a story of human pain and resilience. |
| 2015 | KothanodiStudy film → | Bhaskar Hazarika | Assamese | Assam | Adapted traditional Assamese folk tales (*Burhi Aair Xungur*) into a dark fantasy drama; won the National Film Award for Best Assamese Film. |
| 2017 | Village RockstarsStudy film → | Rima Das | Assamese | Assam | Shot independently on a DSLR; won Best Feature Film at the 65th National Film Awards and served as India's official entry for the 90th Academy Awards. |
| 2017 | Nana: A Tale of UsStudy film → | Tiakumzuk Aier | Nagamese | Nagaland | The first fiction feature from Nagaland screened overseas; won Best Director at the Edinburgh Festival of Indian Films and Documentaries (2017) and Best Film (North East) at the 2021 Prag Cine Awards. |
| 2018 | Ma.AmaStudy film → | Dominic Megam Sangma | Garo | Meghalaya | The first Garo film to win a National Film Award (Best Feature Film in Garo, 66th National Film Awards); Dominic Megam Sangma's debut feature. |
| 2018 | Bulbul Can SingStudy film → | Rima Das | Assamese | Assam | A globally screened coming-of-age drama exploring friendship, sexual identity and social expectations in rural Assam. |
| 2019 | IewduhStudy film → | Pradip Kurbah | Khasi | Meghalaya | First Khasi film to enter the Busan International Film Festival, winning the Kim Ji-seok Award (24th BIFF); later acquired by Channel 4 (UK) and CM Pictures (South Korea). |
| 2021 | AnghStudy film → | Theja Rio | Tenyidie | Nagaland | A historical short film shot on 16mm depicting the last village of the headhunters transitioning to Christianity; won the Special Jury Award at Clermont-Ferrand. Rio expanded it into a feature that premiered at TIFF 2026 (Platform Competition), won the Platform Prize, and became India's entry for the 2027 Oscars. |
| 2023 | Rimdogittanga (Rapture)Study film → | Dominic Megam Sangma | Garo | Meghalaya | Won Best Feature Film in Garo at the 71st National Film Awards (2025); premiered at Locarno 2023; an India-China-Switzerland-Qatar-Netherlands co-production; released theatrically in France in May 2024. |
| 2024 | Ade (On a Sunday)Study film → | Theja Rio | Tenyidie | Nagaland | A Tenyidie-language short film shot on 16mm; had its world premiere at the International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR) and won Best Film at the MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. |
| 2024 | Tara: The Lost StarStudy film → | Samten Bhutia | Nepali | Sikkim | A Nepali-language social drama shot at Gnathang-Memenchu near Changu Lake; selected for market screening at the Marché du Film, 77th Cannes Film Festival. |
| 2024 | OnenessStudy film → | Priyakanta Laishram | Manipuri | Manipur | The first Manipuri film about a same-sex relationship, based on a real gay honour killing; world premiere at KASHISH Pride Film Festival 2024; won the Special Jury Award (Feature) and Best Supporting Actor at the 17th Manipur State Film Awards. |
| 2025 | Shape of MomoStudy film → | Tribeny Rai | Nepali | Sikkim | Debut feature portraying three generations of Himalayan women; world premiere at the 30th Busan IFF (Sept 2025), winning the Songwon Vision Award and the Taipei Film Commission Award; screened in the New Directors section at San Sebastián. |
| 2026 | PorobashiStudy film → | Monet Roy Saha | Bengali / Kokborok | Tripura | A bilingual crossover drama about Bengali refugees from East Pakistan and indigenous Tripuri villagers in the 1960s; released Feb 2026; competed in the Indian Language section of the 31st KIFF. |
46 films shown