Curtain falls on Film South Asia ’03

Kathmandu, 28 September, 2003 - Film South Asia ’03, the fourth edition of the festival of South Asian non-fiction films, ended here today, with a film on human atrocities on elephants by an Indian filmmaker bagging the Ram Bahadur Trophy for Best Film. “An outstanding and original film, enabling the viewer to believe the elephants themselves are speaking,” read the jury citation for The 18th Elephant - 3 Monologues directed by P. Balan from Kerela, India.

This is the first time that a South Indian film has won an award at the festival. Tale of the Darkest Night, a film about the attack by Pakistan army on Dhaka University in 1971, directed by Kawsar Chawdhary, won the Second Best Film Award and Sand and Water by Berlin-based Bangladeshi filmmaker Shaheen Dill-Riaz about life among the Jamuna won the Third Best Film Award.

Tale of the Darkest Night was the “most dramatic film of the festival”, according to the three-member jury headed by Sir Mark Tully. The other members of the jury were Lubna Marium, a classical dancer from Dhaka and Lalsawmliani Tochhawng, an organiser of film festivals from Delhi

Sand and Water won the award for evoking the “courage and cheerfulness of a poor community living under extreme adversity”. The Grand Jury Award went to The Fire Within directed by Shriprakash Prakash from Ranchi, India and the Special Mention to Bhedako Oon Jasto ... In Search for a Song directed by Kiran Krishna Shrestha from Kathmandu.

The three best films received citations and cash awards of US$ 2,000, US$1,000 and US$ 500.

The closing film, Bhedako Oon Jasto ... In Search for a Song was shown to an appreciative full-house at Jai Nepal Cinema, the premier commercial film theatre in Kathmandu. The other 42 films of the festival, which ran from 25 to 28 September, 2003 were screened in two halls at the Russian Cultural Centre.

Of the 43 films screened 27 were represented by their director or the producer who presented the film and took answers from the audience. Filmmakers had flown in from all over South Asia as well as North America.

As with past editions of the festival, 12 to 15 of the best films will be part of Travelling Film South Asia which will travel all over South Asia and the rest of the world to popularise the documentary and showcase the best in South Asian non-fiction filmmaking.

The next edition of the biennial Film South Asia will be held in September 2005.

Curtain falls on Film South Asia ’03

Kathmandu, 28 September, 2003 - Film South Asia ’03, the fourth edition of the festival of South Asian non-fiction films, ended here today, with a film on human atrocities on elephants by an Indian filmmaker bagging the Ram Bahadur Trophy for Best Film. “An outstanding and original film, enabling the viewer to believe the elephants themselves are speaking,” read the jury citation for The 18th Elephant - 3 Monologues directed by P. Balan from Kerela, India.

This is the first time that a South Indian film has won an award at the festival. Tale of the Darkest Night, a film about the attack by Pakistan army on Dhaka University in 1971, directed by Kawsar Chawdhary, won the Second Best Film Award and Sand and Water by Berlin-based Bangladeshi filmmaker Shaheen Dill-Riaz about life among the Jamuna won the Third Best Film Award.

Tale of the Darkest Night was the “most dramatic film of the festival”, according to the three-member jury headed by Sir Mark Tully. The other members of the jury were Lubna Marium, a classical dancer from Dhaka and Lalsawmliani Tochhawng, an organiser of film festivals from Delhi

Sand and Water won the award for evoking the “courage and cheerfulness of a poor community living under extreme adversity”. The Grand Jury Award went to The Fire Within directed by Shriprakash Prakash from Ranchi, India and the Special Mention to Bhedako Oon Jasto ... In Search for a Song directed by Kiran Krishna Shrestha from Kathmandu.

The three best films received citations and cash awards of US$ 2,000, US$1,000 and US$ 500.

The closing film, Bhedako Oon Jasto ... In Search for a Song was shown to an appreciative full-house at Jai Nepal Cinema, the premier commercial film theatre in Kathmandu. The other 42 films of the festival, which ran from 25 to 28 September, 2003 were screened in two halls at the Russian Cultural Centre.

Of the 43 films screened 27 were represented by their director or the producer who presented the film and took answers from the audience. Filmmakers had flown in from all over South Asia as well as North America.

As with past editions of the festival, 12 to 15 of the best films will be part of Travelling Film South Asia which will travel all over South Asia and the rest of the world to popularise the documentary and showcase the best in South Asian non-fiction filmmaking.

The next edition of the biennial Film South Asia will be held in September 2005.