Assam Film Awards Festival from Sept 7

Guwahati, Sep 5 (UNI) In a bid to revive the sagging film industry of the state, the government will hold the Assam State Film Award Festival'07 from September 7-15, informed Assam Cultural Affairs Minister Gautam Bora.

Altogether 28 awards, instituted to commemorate masters of the respective fields related to cinema in the state, would be given away at a glittering function on the concluding day, the Minister said yesterday.

A number of critically acclaimed films from the state would be screened in two cinema halls of the city during the festival, the minister added.

Revived after a gap of seven years, the Film Award Festival was held in 2005 and it was made a biennial function since then. Films released between April, 2004, to December, 2006, would be competing, with an expert jury deciding the winners in three broad categories, feature film, short film and documentary.

Mr Bora informed that the widely acclaimed Assamese film 'Chameli Memsaab' would be screened on the opening day of the festival and the film's hero George Becker has been invited as the special guest on the occasion.

Indicating that the state government had a number of important announcements for revival of the film industry in the state, he said, the chief minister will be present during the opening function and he will make the formal announcements.

The minister also elaborated on the steps taken by the state government to help the struggling film industry from sailing out of the crisis.

He said, ''We have already declared many tax cutting and refund measures. We are trying to get industry status for the film industry, which would benefit it immensely.'' UNI