The Mumbai International Film Festival that concluded on Friday, had Nishtha Jain’s “The Golden Thread” and Nirmal Chander Dandriyal’s “6-A Akash Ganga” winning the best film in the international and national competitions, respectively, according to Variety report.
“The Golden Thread” was praised by the international jury as “a film that is both an homage and an observation of the last vestiges of the industrial revolution impacted by the forces of economic change. “The film illustrates the relationship of man to machine but also questions the equation by which capitalism values man as equal only to his labor. The stunning imagery and sound weave a beautiful narrative that reminds us of the reason why documentary is still such a compelling art form,” said the international jury citation.
Meanwhile the national jury appreciated “6-A Akash Ganga” as “an entrancing intimate documentary with an invisible protagonist which hypnotically draws you into the reclusive and guarded world of legendary musician Annapurna Devi. Her brilliance and talent would have remained hidden but for this intimate telling by flute-player Nityanand Haldipur, disciple and gatekeeper to the legendary musician. He lets us into his world step by step, telling the fascinating story of a famously gifted musician, guru, woman and wife whose artistic and personal life took unexpected turns over and over, leaving one in awe and profoundly moved.”
Other notable winners in the international competition included Vera Pirogova’s “Sour Milk” for best international short fiction film; Marcin and Wiktoria Podolec’s “Zima” for international animation film; and Liam Lopinto’s “The Old Young Crow” for innovative or experimental film.
At the festival’s technical awards, Niraj Gera won best sound designer for “The Golden Thread.” Other technical winners included Babin Dulal for cinematography in “Dhorpatan,” Vignesh Kumulai for editing in “Karparaa,” and Matt Waldeck with a special jury mention for “Lovely Jackson.”
In the national competition, Sreemoyee Singh’s “And, Towards Happy Alleys” won the Fipresci critics jury award and best debut director. Other national winners included Barkha Prashant Naik’s “Salt” for best Indian short fiction film; Gaurav Pati’s “Nirjara” for Indian animation film; Elvachisa Ch Sangma and Dipankar Das’ “Expectation” for student film; Edmond Ranson’s “Life in Loom” for best short film on India in Amrit Kaal (the era of elixir); and Joshy Benedict with a special jury mention for “A Coconut Tree.”
Technical awards in the national competition went to Suraj Thakur for cinematography in “Entangled,” Irene Dhar Mallik and Anuja Thakkar for editing in “From the Shadows,” and Abhijeet Sarkar for editing in “Time for Milking.”
The festival also featured the inaugural Doc Film Bazaar, aimed at fostering collaboration in the documentary and animation film industry. The Co-Production Market selected 16 projects from 63 submissions spanning 10 countries and 29 languages, resulting in 73 one-on-one meetings and CPM Talks with industry veterans. The Work-In-Progress Lab chose five projects from over 100 submissions, offering mentorship and editing sessions. “Hearsay” won the Prasad Lab Post Production award, with two other projects receiving discounted DI services. The Viewing Room showcased 116 films, accumulating 293 views in its first three days.
About Author
Leave a Reply