8 Manipuri films to grace Intl Film Fest

IMPHAL May 29 : At least eight Manipuri films will be screened at the 17th Mumbai International Film Festival for Documentary, Short Fiction and Animation films (MIFF-2022) being organized by the Films Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India.
The film festival will be held from May 29 to June 4 in Mumbai and during the course of the event Manipuri documentary films namely Haobam Paban Kumar's Pabung Syam, Phum Shang, 50 Years of Manipuri Cinema, Borun Thokchom's I Rise, James Khangembam's Meiram-The Fireline, Maibam Amarjeet Singh's Highways of Life, Aribam Syam Sharma's The Monpas of Arunachal Pradesh and Ronel Haobam's Thang-Ta will be screened, said a statement issued by Film Society of Manipur president Meghachandra Kongbam.
International Prism : James Khangembam's debut documentary film- Meiram-The Fireline is among the eight films  selected for the International Prism section of MIFF 2022.  It is a 33-minute documentary film based on forest conservation work started by Loiya Moirangthem and his group of friends at Punsilok, Langol Hills.
 The film visually touches the embracing colours of wild and slices of biodiversity. The film is produced by James Khangembam who also handles the camera.
National Competition
Haobam Paban Kumar's Pabung Syam and Borun Thokchom's I Rise are two films from Manipur among 67 films selected for the National competition section of the festival.  The 52- minute documentary- Pabung Syam takes a look at the life and work of the legendary filmmaker Aribam Syam Sharma through the eyes of one of his admirers and students while I Rise is a 52-minute documentary film inspired by the real-life saga of a seven-time Asian championship medallist Laishram Sarita Devi. (
Homage: Irom Maipak-Cinematographer
The Films Division will pay a special homage to the ace Indian cinematographer Irom Maipak (August 20 1967 – May 20, 2021) who was the only National award-winning cinematographer of Manipur and the founding president of the All Manipur Cinematographers Association. Maipak had worked for more than three decades in the films and television industry. Three films namely- Aribam Syam Sharma's The Monpas of Arunachal Pradesh (20 min), Ronel Haobam's Thang-Ta (28 min) and Haobam Paban Kumar's Phum Shang (52 min) will be screened on June 1, 2022.
Irom Maipak won the National Film Award for Best Non-Feature Film Cinematography in the non-feature section for the 2001 film The Monpas of Arunachal Pradesh at the 49th National Film Awards held in 2002.
Special Package: Indian Panorama
Maibam Amarjeet Singh's Highways of Life (52 min) will be screened on June 1, 2022 at JB Hall at 10.30 am under the Special Package: Indian Panorama. Highways of Life is a detailed look at the high-octane lives of Manipur's highway truckers.
Special Package: Portraits From The North East
Haobam Paban Kumar's 50 Years of Manipuri Cinema: A Glimpse (15 min) will be screened on June 2, 2022 at RR III under the Special Package: Portraits From The North East.