Goa: A panel discussion on New North-East Cinema and Film Schools drew an engaged audience on Thursday at the Kala Academy Auditorium on the eighth day of the 56th International Film Festival of India in Goa.

Veteran Manipuri filmmaker Haobam Paban Kumar looked back on his early struggles in the 1990s, when formal film education was out of reach for most young filmmakers from the region.

With only two major institutions available at the time FTII in Pune and SRFTI in Kolkata he said competition was fierce and opportunities were scarce, especially for students from the North-East.

The session was moderated by filmmaker Dominic Sangma and brought together prominent voices shaping the region’s contemporary cinema. Along with Haobam Paban Kumar, the panel featured Assamese filmmaker Reema Borah and Mahrishi Tuhin Kashyap.

The discussion ranged from the steady growth of North-East cinema to the expanding role of film schools in developing new talent. Panelists spoke about the changing creative environment, the increasing visibility of regional stories and the need for stronger training platforms to support emerging filmmakers.