Jointly
Organized
by:
mah shasan /second logo Mahasanskruti Pune film foundation

Pune International Film Festival

Marathi Feature film awards:

1. Government of Maharashtra “Sant Tukaram” Best International Marathi Film is given to the film Chumbak (English Title The Lottery) directed by Sandeep Modi and produced by Naren Kumar & Aruna Bhatia. Rs.5.00 Lakhs is shared between the director (50%) and the producers (50%) equally.

2. Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Chitrapat Maha Mandal Best Marathi Film Director award goes to Sumitra Bhave for the film Dithee (English title Seeing) and the Director gets Rs. 25,000/-

3. Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Chitrapat Maha Mandal Best Marathi Film Actor award is given to Swanand Kirkire the actor of the film Chumbak (English Title The Lottery) and the actor gets Rs.25,000/-

4. Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Chitrapat Maha Mandal Best Marathi Screenplay award is given to Saurabh Bhave & Sandeep Modi for the film Chumbak (English Title The Lottery) and they get Rs.25,000/-

5. Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Chitrapat Maha Mandal Best Cinematographer award goes to Dhananjay Kulkarni, the cinematographer of the film Dithee (English title Seeing) and he receives Rs.25,000/-

6. Akhil Bhartiya Marathi Chitrapat Maha Mandal Best Marathi Film Actress award is given to Devika Daftardar for the film Naal (Englidh title The Umblical Cord) and she gets Rs.25,000/-

Citations for Marathi Competition films



Best Film - Chumbak by Sandeep Modi

Sandeep Modi's Chumbak puts at test the integrity of two street smart friends who, out od necessity, ripped off an autistic villager that has stranded in the city of Mumbai. What follows is an emotional roller coaster that keeps the audience on its toes up to the very last minute. From the ensemble of actors - that by the way have great potential to become serial heroes - to the plots, the locations, the set design and dialogues; Modi masters everything with great souvereignty and without loosing focus on the characters’ inner journeys. The way he orchestrates the character of the mentally ill Prasanna is full of finesse and sentiment. From the very beginning the film comes right to the point and from there keeps the speed with a panache that is breath-taking. Sandeep Modi's Chumbak is a warm hearted, charming and compelling film with a great sense of realism, full of humour and love for his characters.

Rupees 5.00 Lakhs is shared between the director (50%) and the producers (50%) equally.


BEST DIRECTOR - Sumitra Bhave for the film DITHEE

For uncompromisingly crafting a powerfully moving film that gracefully contemplates the elaborate interplay of faith, loss and the transient nature of life, while dealing with the realities and minutiae of daily life in a monsoon-ravaged Marathi community; and for its effective use of editing and music that reflects the spiritualism and contemplative nature of Marathi cinema – the BEST DIRECTOR AWARD goes to SUMITRA BHAVE for DITHEE. The Director gets Rs. 25,000/-


Best Male Actor -Swanand Kirkere

Prasanna, a mentally handicapped villager falls victim to an SMS scam of two juvenile deliquents. Swanand Kirkere's screen incarnation of Prasanna is full of surprises. A daring challenge with lots of mantraps that he masters with distinction. Not only is his incarnation of this lost soul full of love and respect for the meek, Kirkere also understands to oscillate between the manifold moods of this main character. Be it witty, desperate, charming or full of anger, it is the complexity of this role that contributes grately to the unexpected nature of Chumbak - The Lottery, the actor gets Rs.25,000/-


BEST ACTRESS - Devika Daftardar

For her powerful yet quiet portrayal that evokes the steadfast inner strength of an adoptive mother struggling to keep her family together while caring for a stubborn and curious young son amidst the complex realities a small rural Marathi community – the award for BEST ACTRESS goes to DEVIKA DAFTARDAR from the film NAAL. The actress gets Rs.25,000/-


BEST SCREENPLAY - Saurabh Bhave and Sandeep Modi

For effectively telling a deceptively simple coming-of-age story that escalates organically into a complex and textured portrait of contemporary Marathi society as told from the perspective of two young teenage boys forced to embark in a life of petty crime the BEST SCREENPLAY goes to SAURABH BHAVE and SANDEEP MODI of CHUMBAK. The screenplay writers get Rupees 25,000/- in total


Best Cinematography - Dhananjay Kulkarni

Atmospherically dense and intense, close to the people, soulful, wistful, Dhananjay Kulkarni's camera captures the most intimate moments of Ramji, a humble iron smith, who just lost his son, with great respect and devotion. In the course of the film the mourning father despite his despair slowly finds his way back to life. If there is a visual language for life in transit, for endurance and bearing you can find it in Kulkarni's work. The images are almost meditative, they take their time, they go against the grain and slowly but surely unfold the silent beauty of this story with an intensity that is deeply uplifting and healing.

The cinematographer gets Rupees 25,000/-


World Cinema Feature Film Awards:

1. Government of Maharashtra “Prabhat” Best International Film is awarded to the French- Kurdish film Girls Of The Sun (Les Filles Du Soleil) directed by Eva Husson & produced by Didar Domehri and the prize money of Rs. 10 Lakhs is shared between the director (50%) and the producer (50%) equally.

2. Government of Maharashtra “Prabhat” Best International Film Director award is given to Rodrigo Barriuso & Sebastian Barriuso for the Canadian-Cuban Film A Translator | Un Traductor and the directors get in total Rs.5.00 Lakhs.

3. MIT-SFT Human Spirit Award is given to Pippo Mezzapesa the Italian director of the film My Own Good (Il Bene Mio) and the director gets 1000 US$

Citations

Government of Maharashtra “Prabhat” Best International Film

GIRLS OF THE SUN

'Girls of the Sun' are a battalion of battle-scarred Kurdish women wounded and battered in body, mind and soul but still keeping their hope alive while fighting to liberate their hometown from extremists. Leading them is gutsy earth mother Bahar who is looking for her son held hostage by the extremists. A French journalist Mathilde whose own personal life finds resonance in the ruins of the lives of these 'Girls of the Sun', joins their common cause of Women, Life and Liberty. and also understand how far we are from any equality between men and women in most of the world.

This is the story about strong but oppressed women taking arms and refusing to be victims. This is a universal story, not just about Kurdish women but about all women.

To this day, unfortunately, some of these Yazidi women are still in captivity. This film can help raise awareness so that they don't fall into oblivion.People need to know what happened to them:they need to hear about their extraordinary courage

Directed by Eva Husson from her own edgy screenplay, 'Girls of the Sun' is illuminated by powerful performances by Golshifteh Farahani as Bahar and Emmanuelle Bercot as Mathilde.

'Girls of the Sun', ultimately, is not just the story of a few brave Kurdish women but the story of mother planet earth looking for her son--the human race and its future, held hostage by extremists.


Government of Maharashtra “Prabhat” Best International Film Director

A TRANSLATOR

In 'A Translator', Cuban-Canadian directors Rodrigo Barriuso and SebastianBariuso makes his personal story universal in which his father Malin, a Russian literature professor, is assigned by the Cuban Government as an interpreter between Cuban doctors and Russian victims of Chernobyl nuclear disaster. While his compassion and love are building bridges of hope and life to the kids across the language barrier, his personal life is coming apart. What emerges is a compelling story with a surprising, skilful but moving twist right at the end credits.

Getting kids to perform in a film has never been easy but directors Rodrigo Barrisuo and Sebastian Barrisuo, who also happened to be brothers, must be congratulated for handling the kids with warmth, sensitivity and unique understanding of child psychology to derive moving performances from them.

Illuminated Rodrigo Santoro as Malin, 'A Translator' is the victory of human communication in a world divided by languages.


MIT-SFT Human Spirit Award

Goes to Pippo Mezzapesa, the director of MY OWN GOOD

Pippo Mezzapesa's 'My Own Good' finds hope, revival and rehabilitation by the sheer strength of the spirit of a single human being Elia who dares to keep the lone flame of life alive in the ruins of Provvidenza, a small village destroyed by an earthquake. While the people of his entire village have lost hope and left their homes to resettle in Nuova, Elia refuses to abandon his home because it had been a home to the memories of his dead wife. Fighting all the odds and ordered by the mayor to vacate Provvidenza, on the verge of giving up, Elia rescues a young woman Noor on the run from the law as an illegal emigrant and hiding in his own house, not realising that, in fact, Noor had rescued him. While Noor longs for Elia to come home with her to France, Elia manages to send Noor safely home and stays back in Provvidenza as the lone spirit that finally makes other inhabitants to return and rebuild.

The film 'My Own Good' gives an universal truth that the only way to move forward is to accept our personal losses and the pain of the past to move forward and build a better world.

Performed movingly by Sergio Rubini as Elia,'My Own Good' is a homecoming for the spirit of mankind.

Audience Award:

For Marathi film

The audience award went to the director Sumitra Bhave of the film DITHEE


For World Cinema

The audience award went to the directors Rodrigo Barriuso & Sebastian Barriuso for the Canadian-Cuban Film A Translator ( Un Traductor )


Student Award:

PIFF Special award Instituted by Ms. Maria Procházková for the Final Year Student of Direction from FTII. The award is given to Ms. SANSKRITI CHATTOPADHYAY of INR 25000/-