Guwahati, Nov. 30: Filmgoers in the Hindi heartland have either seen or heard of Mani Ratnam?s Roja. None of them has ever heard, let alone watched, Bhabendra Saikia?s Kalsandhya, another path-breaking film on insurgency.

Never mind the fact that both were regional language filmmakers and both films were their first attempts at mainstream Hindi cinema. Lack of talent? Can?t be. Lack of exposure? Must be. Otherwise, why would it take 23 long years for a maestro like Janhu Baruah to debut in Hindi with his critically acclaimed Maine Gandhi Ko Nahin Mara?

The Assam State Film Finance and Development Corporation means to change all that ? through a first-ever Assamese film festival in the capital ? to reach out to a new audience, explore a new market and forge tie-ups.

A bullish Bobeeta Sarma, chairperson of the corporation, told The Telegraph that the festival, organised in association with the ministry of information and broadcasting, would be held at the Siri Fort auditorium from January 6. Big names of the country?s film industry are expected to attend.

She said all award-winning films over the years will be screened at the festival, which will open with Saikia's masterpiece, Kalsandhya.

?Our aim, besides reviving Assamese cinema, is to give it the exposure it needs. Assam has produced so many good films in recent years but it has sadly not reached out to those outside Assam in a way it should have,? she said.

?The rest of India is completely in the dark about the finest of Assamese cinema. Through this festival we will try to correct the situation. We are very excited and hopeful,? Sarma added, thanking the information and broadcasting ministry for its support and assistance.

An equally excited Assamese film industry has welcomed the initiative, which it said was long overdue. ?Assamese films are rarely watched by audiences outside the region. A festival of this nature, which caters to a wide section of the audience, will provide us with a chance to enter a new market and make our presence felt in the fast-expanding entertainment industry,? said national award- winner filmmaker Bidyut Chakraborty.

Echoing him, Manju Bora, who shot to fame with her national award winning film Baibhav, said, ?I appreciate the decision to host the festival outside the region. It will be the right platform to explore new things. This will encourage filmmakers to come up with good products at a time when the industry is passing through a bad phase.?

However, Chakraborty, whose debut film Raag Birag brought him the national award, said the Assam Film Finance and Development Corporation should take a holistic approach in selecting artistically creative films and films should be rejected on the ground that it has not won any award. ?The corporation should consult people associated with different aspects of filmmaking while selecting films,? said Chakraborty.

Sarma said lack of funds has been the primary cause of concern for Assamese filmmakers. She, however, said things are changing for the best with the Film Finance and Development Corporation chalking out plans for the revival of the industry.