Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: Assamese feature film River Tales will screen at the 25th New York Asian Film Festival. The event runs from July 10 to July 26, 2026, across New York City venues including the SVA Theatre and Film at Lincoln Center. It is a major win for regional cinema from Northeast India.
Director Dr. Pankaj Borah focuses the story on the Ratuwa River. This waterway acts as a lifeline for local fishing communities. The film tracks their daily rhythms alongside the slow decay of their environment. It highlights the tension between cultural survival and ecological loss. The director captures how the river provides both identity and sustenance to those living along its banks.
The production previously won the North East Spotlight Award at the Guwahati Asian Film Festival in January 2026. Experts praised the work for its sensitive look at regional social realities. Sound designer Debajit Gayan provided the audio textures that define the movie. These sounds immerse the audience in the riverine environment, reflecting the vulnerability of the ecosystem.
Borah brings a specific local story to a global stage. The film proves that cinema can document the shifting bond between nature and people. As the festival notes, the work serves as "a meditation on the life cycle of a river." This recognition puts the story of Assam’s river-dependent societies in front of a worldwide audience.
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