Shillong, March 25: Meghalaya on Wednesday opened its first Shillong International Film Festival, with Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma announcing plans to set up a Film City as part of a broader push to build a filmmaking ecosystem in the state.
Inaugurating the three-day festival at the State Convention Centre, Sangma positioned cinema as both a cultural and economic opportunity for Meghalaya, where a large young population is increasingly looking for non-traditional career avenues.
“Our youth are immensely talented but lack platforms and an ecosystem to showcase their abilities,” he said, adding that filmmaking can generate jobs across sectors — from acting and direction to technical work, design, music and logistics.
The proposed Film City, he said, is intended to anchor that ecosystem and attract productions to the state. The government is also considering a Film Institute to provide hands-on training and professionalise a sector that has so far grown largely on passion and informal learning.
The announcement builds on a series of initiatives already underway, including a state film policy, a proposed OTT platform, and performance-driven programmes such as the Meghalaya Grassroots Music Project (MGMP).
Information and Public Relations Minister Lakhmen Rymbui said filmmaking in Meghalaya has gained momentum over the past decade and is emerging as a viable creative economy. He urged young filmmakers to actively engage with the festival’s sessions to deepen their understanding of the craft.
Chief Secretary Shakil P. Ahammad said the state’s storytelling traditions give it a natural advantage in cinema. With policy support and institutional backing, he added, local talent can increasingly find a place in the global film landscape.
The inaugural session also saw filmmakers and film personalities being felicitated.
The festival will screen 18 curated films from across the Northeast, along with entries from Bhutan and Vietnam — a line-up that signals Shillong’s attempt to position itself as a regional hub for cinema and storytelling.
