Bengali filmmakers dominate awards
Several filmmakers and actors from Bengal made a clean sweep of all the awards in the Indian competition section.
West Bengal ruled the roost on the closing day of the Osian's Cinefan film festival here on Sunday with filmmakers and actors from the state making a clean sweep of all the awards in the Indian competition section.
Though films either made in Bengali or directed by filmmakers from the state dominated the awards, it was Jahar Kanungo's Bengali film Nisshabd (Reaching Silence) which romped home with the Best Film and Best Actress trophies.
The Indo-French production has an unusual storyline - that of the impact of sound pollution on a resident of Delhi. The protagonist flees to his native Bengal in the hope of attaining peace, but his malady soon reaches neurotic proportions.
Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting S Jaipal Reddy gave away the awards in the various categories.
A five-member international jury, including actress Mita Vashisht, said they chose Nisshabd as the best film for its "refreshing cinematic language and sensibility."
The film got its director a cash prize of Rs five lakh and an award designed by sculptor Balan Nambiar.
Trina Neelina Banerjee was chosen the Best Actress for her performance in this film.
Meanwhile, noted character artist Sabyasachi Chakraborty bagged the Best Actor Trophy for his role in Sandip Ray's film Nishijapon.
The Special Jury Award went to director Shoojit Sircar for his debut film Yahaan - a Hindi film which traces an unusual love story in insurgency-hit Kashmir. Not to be outdone, yet another Bengali - Rupa Ganguly was honoured with a Special Jury Mention and a memento.
The special Indian critics award was bagged by filmmaker Ruchi Narain's debut effort 'Kal (The Time).
In the Asian competition section, the Best Film went to the Indonesian Of Love and Eggs directed by Garin Nugromo.
The Best Actor Trophy was bagged by Parsa Piroozfar in the Iranian film Ashk-e-Sarma (Tear of the Cold), the Best Actress Trophy was clinched by Zhang Jingchou in the Chinese film Kongque (Peacock).
The Special Jury Award in the Asian films category went to Sri Lankan film Sulanga Enu Pinisa (The Forsaken Land) for its soundtrack. The jury awarded it for the "extraordinary juxtaposition and movement of sound effect, dialogue and music" in the film.
The awards for the Asian competition were bestowed by a five-member international jury including Indian filmmaker Mani Kaul.
The NETPAC (Network for Promotion of Asian Cinema) award was bagged by the Chinese film The Black and White Milk Cow by Yangjin for "breaking the silence on the taboo subject of HIV/AIDS."
The FIPRESCI (International Federation of Film Critics) Award went to the Azizollah Hamidnezhad-directed Iranian film Ashk-e-Sarma (Tear of the Cold).
The awards ceremony was followed by a screening of Buddhadeb Dasgupta's Bengali film Kaalpurush starring Rahul Bose, Sameera Reddy and Mithun Chakraborty.
Altogether 120 films from over thirty countries were screened during the festival.