Bangladeshi film Kura Pokkhir Shunye Ura and Spain’s Upon Entry jointly bagged the Best Film award in the international category at a star-studded closing ceremony of the 28th Kolkata International Film Festival on Thursday.
Actress Rituparna Sengupta and West Bengal power minister Aroop Biswas handed over the ‘Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award for Best Films in the International competition: Innovation in Moving’ along with a cash prize of Rs 51 lakh to filmmakers Alejandro Rojas and Juan Sebastian Vasquez for Upon Entry and Muhammad Quayum for Kura Pokkhir Shunye Ura.
Argentine filmmakers Ernesto Ardito and Virna Molina bagged the Best Director award in the international category for their film Hilter’s Witch. The duo received a cash prize of Rs 21 lakh along with the ‘Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award for Best Director in the International Competition’ trophies.
Iran’s Shokouhe Khamoush (Silent Glory), directed by Nahid Hassanzadeh, received the Special Jury Award.
Iliana Zakopoulou, Head of the Department of Sales and Promotion (Hellas Film) of the Greek Film Centre, was the chairperson of the jury for the International Competition: Innovation in Moving Images category. Kurdish-Swiss film director Mano Khalil, Variety editor Shalini Dore, director of Bangladesh Film Institute (BFI) Tanvir Mokammel and actress Tannishtha Chatterjee were also part of the jury.
Bengali filmmaker Indrani’s Chhaad and Dr Bobby Sarma Baruah's Sikaisal won the Special Jury Award in the Indian Language Films category. This year’s Hiralal Sen Memorial Award for Best Film in Indian Languages was accorded to Bhaskhar Maurya’s Muthayya. Deepankar Prakash won the Hiralal Sen Memorial Award for Best Director for the film Naanera.
Tajikistan’s DOV (Fortune), directed by Muhiddin Muzaffar, bagged the NETPAC award for the best film while the Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award for Best Indian Documentary Film went to Nybreum – The Unsettled Shade by Neha Sharma. Prataya Saha received the Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award for Best Indian Short Film for Mein, Mehmood (I am Mehmood).
Aniruddha Roy Choudhury, Paoli Dam, Tnusree Chakraborty, June Maliah, Ishaa Saha, Sayantika Banerjee were among the stars who attended the KIFF closing ceremony at Rabindra Sadan. Raj Chakraborty, chairman of 28th KIFF; Santanu Basu, director general of KIFF; West Bengal minister Indranil Sen and several eminent jury members were also present at the gala.
