Silchar’s Salma Sultana Wins Global Recognition at Yale Environment Film Contest for Chasing Birds Documentary

Silchar-born wildlife biologist and filmmaker Salma Sultana Barbhuiya has brought pride to Assam and the Barak Valley after winning second place at the 2025 Yale Environment 360 Film Contest for her documentary “Chasing Birds”. The annual contest, now in its 12th year, celebrates the world’s best environmental documentaries, with this edition receiving over 600 submissions from 80 countries.

Chasing Birds tells the extraordinary story of Rustom Basumatary, a poacher turned committed conservationist and acclaimed birding guide from Assam’s Manas National Park. The film also reflects the power of community-driven conservation in reviving fragile ecosystems scarred by decades of conflict.

Speaking to Barak Bulletin, Salma described the award as “surreal and deeply moving.” She added, “Chasing Birds is a very personal film, rooted in the landscapes where I first began working and felt compelled to document. Seeing it resonate with an international jury and audience felt like recognition not just of my work, but also of the voices and struggles of people from Assam. I felt both humbled and encouraged to continue telling these kinds of stories.”

For Salma, who pursued her B.Sc. in Zoology from Guru Charan College, Silchar, and M.Sc. in Environmental Biology and Wildlife Sciences from Cotton University, Guwahati, the award is both personal and professional validation.

“This recognition affirms my belief that stories from Northeast India — often overlooked — carry immense power and relevance worldwide. It has given me a stronger platform to merge my two passions: science and storytelling. It reinforces my commitment to creating films that not only move people emotionally but also raise awareness about urgent conservation issues”, mentioned Salma.

Her subject, Rustom, first came to her attention during her fieldwork in Manas. She recalls, “His name surfaced often, always spoken with deep respect and admiration. What drew me in was not just his knowledge of birds, but the path that led him there: growing up in a conflict-affected landscape and finding purpose and healing through nature. His story, rooted in resilience, place, and belonging—felt urgent to tell, especially through the perspective of a young local guide whose connection to the park goes far beyond tourism.”

Rustom was awarded the Assam Gaurav Award in 2022, the state’s third-highest civilian honour, which deepened Salma’s interest and prompted her to read more about him and the complex history of Manas.

Salma is determined to bring Chasing Birds back to the people whose lives and landscapes it portrays. She is planning community screenings in villages around Manas and other parts of Assam.

“In light of current concerns like industrial projects in eco-sensitive zones, I believe films like this can act as conversation starters — encouraging dialogue, awareness, and perhaps even action at the local level,” she said.

Looking ahead, Salma is working on a short documentary on the Greater Adjutant stork (hargila) and a pangolin conservation project with the Karbi community in Karbi Anglong. Importantly, she also hopes to turn her lens towards the forests of Barak Valley, where conservation stories remain underrepresented.

“My hope is to continue creating films rooted in the Northeast that also speak to global challenges of coexistence and resilience,” she added.

You can connect with Salma on Instagram or Facebook to share your own stories.

From GC College in Silchar to an internationally recognised filmmaker, Salma’s journey in global conservation storytelling is a voice rooted in home soil, but reaching far beyond.