Assamese feature film Hiraeth, written, shot and directed by Chow Partha Borgohain, has been officially selected for the in-competition category at the 16th Chicago South Asian Film Festival (CSAFF), to be held from September 14 to 21, 2025.

The film will have its world premiere at the festival, with the opening night red carpet on September 19 in downtown Chicago and the closing ceremony on September 21. Shot mainly in Dibrugarh, Hiraeth is a 100-minute Assamese-language social realism drama that tells the story of Pori, a village woman displaced by a devastating flood, who moves to the city with her husband and confronts socio-economic inequality, corruption, and exploitation. Meghali Kalita, Ashim Kumar Sharma, and Atanu Mahanta feature in the lead roles.

Borgohain said the film is dedicated to those who live on the margins and endure struggles with dignity. The cast also includes Dipankar Sharma, Archana Bezbaruah, Vishwa Kinkar Baruah, Hemanta Rajkonwar, Smritirekha Chetia Handique, Pradipta Pran Bhattacharya, Rimjhim Deka, Rumi Sharma Pathak, and Bhoirab Phukan.

Produced by Sengpem Borgohain, with Subhitya Borgohain and Ruchie Baruah as executive producers, the film’s cinematography is by Borgohain, with Jayanta Gogoi as production designer, Kavin Adithya as editor, and AT Ram as music composer.

Borgohain, born in Along, Arunachal Pradesh, and raised across various districts of the state, studied visual arts at Madras Christian College before completing a course in film and motion photography at Mindscreen Film Institute, Chennai. He has worked as a freelance cinematographer and director since 2014.

The Chicago South Asian Film Festival is one of North America’s largest platforms for showcasing stories from the subcontinent and its diaspora.