Guwahati: BJP legislator Angoorlata Deka on Sunday stressed the need to broaden the horizons of the Assamese film industry.

Addressing a gathering as the chief guest during the closing ceremony of the second edition of the Guwahati Film Festival at Jyoti Chitraban here on Sunday, Deka, who is also an actress, said, "Watching a blockbuster western film dubbed for Indian audience is common. However, very few indigenous movies, if any, get dubbed into English or any other language to be viewed abroad, especially the western countries."

"We must strive to broaden the horizons of our film industry and provide maximum exposure to our indigenous films," she added.

The second edition of the Guwahati Film Festival, which kicked off on March 2, witnessed the screening of a plethora of indigenous films by various independent filmmakers. These films were also part of a competition whose winners were felicitated during the closing and prize distribution ceremony here on Sunday. No - The Home, a documentary on the culture and daily life of the Tiwa indigenous community bagged the award for best film.

"I am truly honoured and humbled by this recognition," director of No - The Home Pranab Jyoti Deka said after the ceremony. "Film festivals give rookie filmmakers like us a platform to showcase our films to a much larger audience. I hope and pray that such festivals continue to take place in our city for several more years to come," he added.