Jamshedpur, March 17: The Santhali and Regional Film Festival is set to expand its wings this year, with the third edition opening its door to documentary film-makers and singers from various states.

Documentary film-makers and singers from Odisha, Bengal and Jharkhand will vie for top honours at the five-day festival, starting from April 11 at XLRI Auditorium.

Ramesh Hansda, president of the All India Santhali Film Association (AISFA), the festival organisers, today said, “We will give cash prizes and trophies in short film and album categories to boost the morale of film-makers who take up serious issues and also singers.”

This will be in addition to a number of feature films that will be screened during the festival, which will culminate at Gopal Maidan.

Documentaries as well as feature films will be judged by a panel. Only the selected films will be screened at various theatres in Tiring (Odisha), Narwa (Jadugora, Jamshedpur), XLRI and Michael John auditoriums, Dishom Jaher (Karandih) and Gamharia.

“Around nine films from Odisha, Bengal and Jharkhand have already been registered for the fest. Apart from Santhali, there will be films in Ho and Nagpuri. Judges will be watching the movies from April 5 at Kalamandir in Bistupur,” said Hansda.

Acclaimed Santhali filmmaker from Mayurbhanj, Odisha, Gangadhar Hembrom, will be conferred Jharkhand Cine Award (lifetime achievement).

The AISFA special award will be given jointly to Bengali filmmaker Umesh Mardi and late actress Malho Mardi, who earned acclaim for her performance in Chando Likhon (first Santhali film made in 35mm). Malho, a resident of Baridih, died recently after sustaining burn injuries at her residence.