The Feature Films Jury included Lakshmi Iyengar (Executive Vice-President, Minor Realm) Smriti Mundhra (Academy Award nominee, Director, St. The Audience Choice Award for Best Short went to the irresistible, wildly ambitious and stimulating debut, 7 Star Dinosor Entertainment by Vaishali Naik, a film that takes head-on the uncertain times we live in, with a story that is brimming with poetry, humor and a lot of soul.” The jury said the film “starts out absurd and hilarious, but sucker-punched us with the truth when we least expected it.”Ĭo-Director of Programming, Thouly Dosios, said, “Sixteen true gems of films comprised our shorts selection this year, featuring some of the most thematically daring and formally groundbreaking works in the lineup. Honorable mentions in the short film category went to Megha Ramaswamy’s Lalanna’s Song, with the jury stating that the film impressed them “with its daring, boundary-pushing filmmaking and two extraordinary lead performances”, and to Akanksha Cruczynski’s Close Ties to Home Country.
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The jury remarked that it was “a raw and visceral film that showed us that above all else, honest filmmaking always wins.” The jury stated that the film “beautifully taps into our deep longing for genuine connection in a world that is increasingly artificial.” The Grand Jury Prize for Best Short in the inaugural Spotlight on South Asia section went to Salar Pashtoonyar’s Bad Omen (Afghanistan/Canada). In the short film category, the Grand Jury Prize went to Amrita Bagchi’s Succulent. What more can we programmers ask for? Stories come to us, enthrall us, move our audiences, and now empower their creators to continue their narrative activism from their distinctive corners of the world.” This film needs to be seen in a milieu where sexual matters tend not to be addressed openly.”Ĭo-Director of Programming, Ritesh Mehta, added, “ We are absolutely thrilled with these winners, especially the Audience Choice winner Jaggi, a story about themes no one talks about which desperately need attention, told with audacity and vulnerability from a first-time filmmaking team. Regarding her selection of Sidhu’s Jaggi, which follows a schoolboy in rural Punjab who faces toxic masculinity and sexual abuse when he is assumed to be gay, da Cunha said, “Few independent films in India are made in the Punjabi language and fewer still find their way into festivals to reach a wider audience. Uma has been a founding member of IFFLA, always championing Indian independent cinema and emerging voices. It was fitting, during this 20 th anniversary edition of the film festival, a year which introduced new programs and initiatives, for a new award to be presented in honor of IFFLA’s beloved advisor in India, the legendary Uma da Cunha. An Honorable Mention went to Shankar’s Fairies, Irfana Majumdar’s “restrained and lyrical portrait of the unconditional bond between a young girl and the gentleman who cares for her family.”
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In the feature film category, Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s Once Upon a Time in Calcutta was cited for “its sprawling, operatic depiction of broken people desperate to connect, and its poetic mastery of cinematic craft” by the IFFLA jury. We walk away from this year’s festival feeling energized and filled with gratitude.”
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We were overwhelmed to see everyone coming back, eager to reconnect with the community and the IFFLA family, watch films and celebrate our 20 th anniversary. In the months and weeks leading to the festival, we weren’t sure whether people would show up after a three-year break from an in-person festival. The excitement felt by the reunion of so many of our filmmakers, patrons, and fans who were back to the theaters was something we all shared. IFFLA Executive Director Christina Marouda said, “This year’s edition of the film festival was wonderful in so many ways. The 2022 IFFLA announced the award winners for its 20 th annual edition, which featured a celebratory return to in-theater screenings and presentations. Photo: Loudspeaker MediaĪditya Vikram Sengupta’s Once Upon a Time in Calcutta won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Feature Film and debut filmmaker Anmol Sidhu’s Jaggi wins two awards, the Audience Choice Award for Best Feature and the Uma da Cunha Award for Best Feature Film Debut at the just concluded 2022 Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA). Once Upon A Time in Calcutta won for the Best Feature at the 22nd Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IIFLA).