In a second consecutive win for filmmaker Rima Das, Bulbul Can Sing bagged one of the two top awards, India Gold Golden Gateway, along with Phuttiphong Aroonpheng’s directorial feature debut Manta Ray , which won the International Competition Golden Gateway, at the 20th Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival with Star.
With the #MeToo movement casting a shadow over it, the annual festival drew to a close on Thursday with a ceremony hosted by actors Bhumi Pednekar and Vicky Kaushal.
Describing Bulbul Can Sing as “an impressive and sensible film”, the head of the India Gold jury, Argentine filmmaker Lucrecia Martel, handed over the award to Ms. Das. Dedicating the award to her mother, Ms. Das said, “I remember when I was 16 or 17, I wanted to be an actor and got a role in a [television] serial in Assam, but my brother was busy and refused to come along. So my mother encouraged me to go all by myself.”
Last year, along with the India Gold Golden Gateway, Ms. Das had also won the Oxfam Award for Indian Film on Gender Equality for Village Rockstars .
Applauding Manta Ray as “a film not afraid to be undefinable”, head of the International Competition jury”, American filmmaker Sean Baker, said the movie marks the arrival of a remarkable filmmaker. Mr. Aroonpheng was not present to receive the award, but earlier in an interview with The Hindu , had said the film is an insight into the Thai people’s outlook towards the Rohingya refugee crisis, told through a unique cinematic language.
Marcelo Martinessi’s The Heiresses , which competed at the Berlinale earlier this year, won the Silver Gateway award for second best film in the International Competition. The jury described the Paraguayan drama as “a film that seems like it was made by a seasoned artiste but it was a [first-time director] who made it.”
Accepting the award, Mr. Martinessi said, “I come from a country with very little cinema history. We had many years of darkness [under the dictatorship] so for my generation it is important to tell the story of Paraguay.”
The Grand Jury Prize in the International Competition was presented to Gabrielle Brady’s Island of the Hungry Ghosts , which was described as “a moving and intimate look at seeking asylum” by the jury. Alireza Motamedi’s Reza was given a special mention.
In the India Gold category, the Silver Gateway was announced to be a tie between Ridham Janve’s The Gold-Laden Sheep & the Sacred Mountain , which had its world premiere at the festival, and Aditya Vikram Sengupta’s Jonaki .
Receiving the award, Mr. Sengupta said sharing the award was special since he and Mr. Janve studied at the National Institute of Design together. “He was my senior,” Mr. Janve said.
Ms. Martel presented Kabir Chowdhry’s Mehsampur with the Grand Jury Prize in the India Gold section, noting that the film invented its very own language. Ivan Ayr’s Soni bagged the Oxfam India Award for best film on gender equality. “The angst and confusion [of women] world over is represented with utter realism and depth [in Soni ],” said Ms. Das, who was head of the Oxfam India Award jury.
The evening wrapped up with a tribute to the late actor Sridevi by filmmaker Gauri Shinde, followed by the Excellence in Cinema Award - International presented to American filmmaker Darren Aronofsky. “I’ve been to Mumbai a few times and I love it because it is completely insane, more than New York,” Mr. Aronofsky said.
The 21st edition of the festival will take place next year between October 17 and 24.
