Utpal Borpujari

Utpal Borpujari is a double National Film Award winner; one, as a film critic, and the other, as a filmmaker. In 2003, he won the Swarna Kamal for Best Film Critic at the 50th National Film Awards of India. In 2018, he won the National Film Award, and 5 Assam State Film Awards for his debut feature film Ishu[1][2]

Utpal Borpujari
Borpujari in 2013
BornMay 21
Assam, India
Occupation(s)Film critic, Film director
AwardsNational Film Awards; for Best Film Critic, and Best Director

He holds an M.Tech degree in Applied Geology from the Indian Institute of Technology (Roorkee). And is a member of the Film Critics Circle of India[3]

Filmography

Scriptwriting

Direction

Author

Utpal has written extensively on film, politics, society, literature, and culture for a variety of newspapers and magazines, such as First Post,[10] DNA,[11] the Deccan Herald[12]Outlook,[13] the Economic Times,[14] Dear Cinema, Eastern Chronicle, The Sentinel, Press Trust of India (PTI, New Delhi), India Times, The Hindustan Times, The Hindu, The Times of India, Assam Tribune, North East Times, Deep Focus Cinema, Seven Sisters Post, India Today, The Assam Tribune, The North East Times, Raijor Batori, and Prantik.

As a film critic/journalist, he has covered Cannes, Nantes, Montreal, IFFI, MAMI, the 3rd Eye Asian Film Fest, MIFF, and Osian's Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema film festivals over the years. And edited the official catalogue of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008.

Additionally, he is the co-author of the book 'Secret Killings of Assam' and the editor/co-author of the book 'Assam.'

Awards

Other accolades /achievements /responsibilities
  • Part of 177 worldwide film critics who were invited by BBC Culture to poll individual Top 10 films of the 21st Century (2016).
  • Part of 209 worldwide film critics who were invited by BBC Culture to poll the Top 100 world cinema of all time (2018).
  • Former Member, International Film Critics Federation (FIPRESCI) – has served on FIPRESCI juries at Montreal World Film Festival (2010), MAMI Mumbai Film Festival (2006), 11th Osian’s Cinefan Film Festival (NETPAC-FIPRESCI Jury, 2009), MIFF (organized by Films Division, 2012 and 2008).
  • Panel of 10 critics 10 directors whose selection of 20 films each led to the Top 20 of Indian cinema ‘Master List’ for the ‘T20 of Indian Cinema’ event at 40th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa, 2009 (www.t20ofindiancinema.com)
  • Member, National Film Awards Jury, 51st National Film Awards, 2004.
  • Member, selection jury for World Cinema, IFFI, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2012, 2010, 2009, 2008.
  • Curator/Consultant: Focus Section on Northeast Cinemas, 44th International Film Festival of India, Goa (2013); “Fragrances from the North East” Film Festivals organised by the Directorate of Film Festivals, Govt of India, New Delhi (2014, 2015) and Pune (2017); “Tales of Women: North East Cinema”, 45th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa (2014); “Camera Along the Brahmaputra” Film Festival, commemorating 80 years of Cinema in Assam, at India International Centre, New Delhi (2015); “Young Directors From Northeast India”, 46th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa (2015); South Asian Film Festival, the Maldives (2007); 70 years of Assamese Cinema), 3rd Eye Asian Film Festival, Mumbai (2005); Guwahati International Film Festival (2005)
  • Artistic Director, Guwahati CineASA International Film Festival since 2009.
  • Director, Guwahati International Short Film Festival, 2011 & 2012.
  • Creative Advisor, Brahmaputra Valley Film Festival, Guwahati, 2014.
  • Jury to select scripts at the Indian Children’s Film Lab (International screen writing lab for Indian children’s cinema 2009), organized by Eleeanora Images (India) and Performing Arts Labs (PAL), UK
  • Short Film Competition Jury at the 1st Pravasi Film Festival, New Delhi, 2010
  • Jury member of WeCare Film Festival, New Delhi, 2011
  • Jury - Drishti Creative Contest, 2012 (for films, posters and creative works on themes related to blindness)
  • Member of Jury, 9th CMS Vatavaran Environment & Wildlife Film Festival, New Delhi, 2017.
  • Member of Jury, the SunChild 7th International Environmental Festival, organized by the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC), Armenia, 2017.
  • Member of Jury, “Award Scheme for Short Films on Human Rights Issues”, National Human Rights Commission, New Delhi, 2017.
  • Member of pre-selection Jury, National Science Film Festival, 2018.
  • Member, Preview Committee, DD Urdu Channel, 2013.
  • Member, Executive Committee, Dr Bhabendranath Saikia Institute of Mass Communication, Guwahati.
  • Trustee, Film Trust India, New Delhi.
  • Trustee, Le France, Guwahati
  • Member, Advisory Panel (Assamese), National Book Trust, India (2014–17 )
  • Member, Indian Panorama (Feature Films), 45th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), Goa, 2014.
  • Member, Evaluation Committee, Short Film Contest of Union Ministry of Culture on MyGov platform to commemorate 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, 2018
  • Member, Film Selection Committee, Centre for Cultural Resources & Training (CCRT), Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
  • Jury - Siffcy[17]
  • Jury - MIFF
  • Jury - Montreal World Film Festival
  • Jury - MAMI
  • Selection of films for National Film Awards[18]

References
  1. "Utpal Borpujari talks about his directorial venture 'ISHU' | TheMoviean". Archived from the original on 2 March 2020. Retrieved 30 December 2017.
  2. IANS (13 April 2018). "Assamese film 'Village Rockstars' wins Best Feature Film". Business Standard India. Retrieved 13 April 2018.
  3. "Film Critics Circle of India".
  4. "The Hills Have Eyes". outlookindia.com. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  5. Chatterji, Shoma A. (4 August 2015). Filming Reality: The Independent Documentary Movement in India. SAGE Publications India. ISBN 9789351505433. Retrieved 14 March 2017 – via Google Books.
  6. "Trailer and Synopsis of "Memories of a Forgotten War": A feature-length documentary film on the battles of World War II fought in Northeastern India". madaboutmoviez.com. 29 November 2015. Archived from the original on 23 March 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  7. Dore, Shalini (9 April 2014). "New York Indian Film Festival Expands to Neighboring Countries". variety.com. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  8. "Film on Naga folk music makes it to five festivals". telegraphindia.com. Archived from the original on 29 April 2014. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  9. IANS (8 September 2014). "Blue Hills music to reverberate in China, Italy, Romania". thehindu.com. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  10. "Utpal Borpujari, Author at Firstpost".
  11. "Utpal Borpujari".
  12. "Gender bias plagues history". 19 September 2009.
  13. "Bard of Brahmaputra". 5 February 2022.
  14. "Utpal Borpujari: Latest News & Videos, Photos about Utpal Borpujari | the Economic Times - Page 1".
  15. http://employmentnews.gov.in/VOL.%2036%20IFFI2015%20Cinema%20from%20the%20North%20East%20finds%20a%20special%20place04Dec15.pdf
  16. "Assam: Utpal Borpujari's Ishu bags Sailadhar Baruah film award". 4 January 2019.
  17. "Siffcy-About". siffcy.org. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
  18. "English Releases". pib.nic.in. Retrieved 14 March 2017.
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