Guwahati Filmmaker Pranami Koch Wins Best Director Award for Koch Tribe Documentary

The event was organized by the National Institute for Tribals and Scheduled Castes under the Government of Assam.

Guwahati-based filmmaker Pranami Koch has made Assam proud by winning the Best Director Award for her documentary film Koro Gochongni (Echoes Within) at the National Tribal Film and Literature Festival 2025. The event was organized by the Assam Institute of Research for Tribals and Scheduled Castes sponsored by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Govt. Of India

Her documentary officially selected as the only Indian entry in the prestigious Short Documentary Competition at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA), where it had its World Premiere in November 2024.

Most recently, Echoes Within was selected for the European Media Art Festival (EMAF) in April 2025, where Pranami Koch participated in a Q&A alongside filmmaker Franca Pape, presented by Rita Macedo, EMAF film programmer. The film had its German Premiere in the “International Selection”– in a section titled “Change of Matter”.

Alongside 31 other short films, Pranami Koch’s film was recognized as an equal winner of the EMAF Award. Additionally, it was nominated for the EMAF Media Art Award presented by the Association of German Film Critics (VdFk).

Koro Gochongni, which translates to Echoes Within, explores the lives of women from the Koch tribe in Garo Hills, Meghalaya. Pranami focused her lens on three villages Harigaon near Garobadha, Borkona near Mankachar, and Kumligaon in Ampati and Bashbari where the women share their stories, traditions, and everyday lives. Through their voices, the film sheds light on the rich cultural heritage of the Koch tribe.

The documentary also captures Pranami’s personal journey as she reconnects with her roots and explores her identity as a Koch woman. She examines how language, customs, and matrilineal values have shaped her understanding of heritage and belonging.

The Koch tribe, like the Garos, follows a matrilineal system where property and social status pass through the female line. Koro Gochongni emphasizes the need to preserve these indigenous practices, especially as modernization and cultural assimilation threaten to erase them.

Pranami’s achievement not only brings visibility to the Koch community but also inspires a new generation of filmmakers and storytellers to explore their own histories and cultural identities. Her work stands as a powerful reminder of the importance of indigenous narratives in India’s diverse cultural landscape.

Also Read: Bharatiya Cha Parishad Calls for Unified Push to Revive Assam’s Tea Industry

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