Harsyajit Kumar Goyary: Among 24 Asian Fellows Selected for the AFA, Busan

Harsyajit Kumar Goyary, an emerging filmmaker originating from a small town in Assam, has been selected as one of the 24 Asian Fellows at the prestigious Asian Film Academy (AFA), a rigorous filmmaking program conducted during the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). The Academy seeks to develop emerging filmmakers by offering hands-on field experience, mentorship from esteemed directors, and opportunities to engage with professionals within the industry. 

    Harsyajit, representing India alongside two other participants, will engage in an intensive 20-day filmmaking program supported by BAFA, Busan. During this program, he will assume responsibility for the sound department in the production of four short films at the academy. Harsyajit, a postgraduate from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, with a specialization in Sound Recording and Design, previously received the India Connect Research Fellowship from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

            Apart from working as a sound designer and re-recording mixer, Harsyajit also produces and directs independent films in the region. As a committed advocate for his tribal community, he strongly believes in the transformative potential of art and culture to promote social change and showcase the rich diversity of indigenous peoples in Northeast India through cinema.

       His notable works as a sound designer and re-recording mixer include the Nyishi-language fantasy film ‘Sangi-Gai’ (2023), which was screened at the Marché Du Film (Film Market) during the 2024 Cannes Film Festival after being selected by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC), as well as the Brahmaputra Valley Film Festival in 2023. He worked as a sound recordist in Rima Das’s films ‘Village Rockstar 2’ (2024), which won the Kim Jiseok Award at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) in 2024, and ‘Tora’s Husband’ (2022) which was officially selected for both the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) in 2023 and the Busan International Film Festival in the same year. He served as the sound recordist for Kshitij Joshi’s short film ‘Dhekun’ (2023), which had its international premiere at the Jio MAMI Film Festival in 2023. Additionally Harsyajit served as a sound designer in Bishal Swargiary’s short film ‘Mother’s Affection’ (2024), which bagged the Best Cinematography Award at the Baripada Indigenous Short Film Festival. 

            Through his expanding oeuvre, Harsyajit persistently employs cinema as a platform to elevate indigenous voices and narratives from Northeast India to an international audience.