Guwahati: The 8th National Science Film Festival of India (NSFFI), 2018, organised by Vigyan Prasar, Union ministry of science and technology and the department of communication and journalism, concluded on Saturday on the campus of Gauhati University.

The valedictory session marked by the award ceremony started with the welcome address of Ankuran Dutta, head of the journalism department.

"We decided to set up a centre for making science films in the department once the Centre supports the proposal," said Dutta, who is also the convener of the festival.

Science films Whispers of Warning by Anup Khajuria, Predating the Predators by Vipul Kreeti Sharma, Womanhood - A documentary on Menstrual Hygiene by Sweta Dutta and Dump the Junk by Afreen Kapoor received the Golden Beaver Award.

The special jury awards went to Out in the Open by Seema Muralidhara, Re-motion Knee by Matiur Rahman, Millets for Next Generation Climate - Smart Agriculture by Chandra Kumar P.H. and Shreeharsha M Kuleneur, Tribal and Indigenous Knowledge System by Amitosh Dubey, Going Green by Amartya Saha and Preferential Monoculture by Vipul Keerti Sharma.

The five-day festival also organised on-the-spot short film competition where six science films - Mr Fiction by Suyash Shreshtha, Life in Danger by Sunil Saraf and Alok Kumar Singh, Selfie Mania - Upcoming Disease by Diksha Msouar, Refill by Manish Kumar, How To? by Prince Kumar and Infrared Cooking: Clean & Energy Efficient by Hrishikesh Angom received awards.

Mike Pandey, chairman of the jury, said, "As a science festival, there must be an eco-friendly approach in organising such an event. The proper utilisation of plastic and pollution-free environment must be maintained while organising film festivals of science.."

Altogether 82 pre-selected films from 215 entries were screened during the five days.