Assamese short film ‘Xogun (vulture)’, directed and scripted by Utpal Borpujari and adapted from an acclaimed short story by noted writer-journalist Manoj Kumar Goswami, has been selected for the International Children’s Rights Film Festival (ICRFF), to be held in Izmir city of Turkey.
The festival, organized annually to create awareness about children’s rights by the Children’s Rights Culture and Art Association, will be held during November 12-20 in the historic coastal city on Turkey.
Produced by Guwahati-based socio-cultural organisation IFT India, ‘Xogun’ has earlier been screened at several prestigious short film festivals, such as the Bengaluru International Short Film Festival, 14th Signs Festival (Thiruvananthapuram), New York Indian Film Festival and Tasveer South Asian Film Festival (US).
The film has also been selected for the forthcoming 4th South Asian Short Film Festival (Kolkata) and Koutik International Film Festival (Uttarakhand). Earlier, ‘Xogun’ had won the best film award at the 13th International Guwahati Film Festival and an honourable mention at the Kashmir International Film & Cultural Festival and was nominated for the best film at the 5th Chalachitram National Film Festival, Guwahati.
Filmed in Agia area of Goalpara with the support of Badunduppa Kala Kendra, the film, like the original story, takes a critical and hard look at certain aspects of modern-day journalistic practices in a powerful manner.
The cast of ‘Xogun’ includes veterans like Sanjeev Hazorika and Dhananjay Nath, along with young talents like Rimjhim Deka and Ankit Shandilya and child actors Kapil Garo (of ‘Ishu’ fame), Anurag Rabha, Phanibhushan Rabha and Ashish Rabha.
The crew comprises Basanta Kumar Borthakur (executive producer), Chida Bora (cinematography), Umesh Kumar (editor), Amrit Pritam Dutta (sound design, editing & mixing), Anurag Saikia (music), Debajit Gayan (production sound mixer), Ghanashyam Kalita (colourist & chief asst director), Dipika Deka (asst director), Madan Rabha (art) and Homen Borah (production manager). The line production was done by 92X26 Films. The poster of the film has been designed by Samudra Kajal Saikia.
