KIFF: 'Bander Band' Of Iran Adjudged Best Film

Kolkata: Iranian movie ‘Bander Band’ got the coveted Golden Royal Bengal Tiger trophy as the Best Film of the 26th Kolkata International Film Festival which concluded on Friday. The Manijeh Hekmat directed road movie, which follows the journey of three musicians across a flooded landscape to attend a music competition in Tehran, got a cash award of Rs 51 lakh along with the trophy.

Artykpai Suiundukov bagged the Best Director crown for ‘Shambala’ from Kyrgyzstan and Rs 21 lakh as prize money. Both awards, announced by West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim at the awards function, were in the International Competition: Innovation in Moving Images section of the festival.

Ukrainian entry ‘Blind Fold’, directed by Taras Doron, was named as Special Jury Mention recipient in the same category meant for world cinema. In the Indian Languages Films section, Malayalam entry ‘Kolla Nottam’ (False Eye) was adjudged the Best Film. The R R Nair directed movie got the Golden Royal Bengal Tiger trophy and Rs 7 lakh prize money.

Biswajit Bhora bagged the Best Director award for his Assamese film ‘Balcony T Bhogoban’ (God on the Balcony) in this section and Rs 5 lakh as a cash award. In Asian Select NETPAC section, Bangladeshi film ‘Nonajaler Kabbo’ (The Salt in the Water) by R S Sumit was adjudged the Best Film.

In Competition on Indian Short Films section, ‘Dusk’ by Ujjwal Pal got the best short film honour and Rs 5 lakh as a cash award. In Competition on Indian Documentary Films section, ‘Highways of Life’ by Amar Maibam got the top honour and Rs 3 lakh as prize money.

Director Goutam Ghosh, a member of the organising committee of the KIFF, said that the despite the pandemic situation and the deferment of the festival from November 2020 to January 2021, it was organised successfully as works of acclaimed directors were screened from January 8 to 15 with large-scale participation of people. Hakim said that the state government is committed to promoting good films.

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