Asian films held the sway at the International Film Festival of India on Sunday night as China's 'The Old Barber' walked away with the Golden Peackock.
PANAJI: Asian films held the sway at the International Film Festival of India on Sunday night as China's The Old Barber walked away with the top honour of Golden Peackock while South Korean and Bangladeshi movies won Silver Peacocks as curtains came down on the ten-day glamour event here.
The Old Barber, directed by Hasi Chaolu, was chosen the top award consisting of a citation and cash Rs 10 lakh by a five-member jury "for making us ponder about us, our friends and family and how to live in this changing world".
The Chinese entry beat several films from ten other countries, including India, Germany and Argentina, in the Asian-African-Latin American competitive section of the 37th edition of IFFI.
Two Indian entries in the section were Tamil film Sringaram and Arunachal Pradesh's Sonam.
Nirontor, directed by 43-year-old Abu Sayeed of Bangladesh, was awarded the Special Jury Prize consisting of Silver Peacock and a cash prize of Rs five lakh for depicting the ambiguities of relationships in a middle class household in Dhaka and for complex portrayal of a woman sacrificing herself for her kin.
First timer An Kung-Lee of South Korea was the most promising director for the film A Short Life, with chairman of jury and eminent Australian director Rolf De Heer praising her as a director with strong cinematic vision and deep human compassion.
Praising the collection of films at the festival this year, De Heer said "we would have gladly given out eight or ten awards which is an indication of the level of films at the festival this year.
"We had a wonderfully diverse group of films at the festival this year and the passionate deliberations in the jury room were evidence of that", he said.
Goa Chief Minister Pratapsinh Rane also promised that the facilities would improve by the next edition of the festival in Goa, saying "we should be able to have the opening and closing ceremonies of the festival at our new convention center by next year."
However, some of the issues that had dominated the festival throughout such as the allegations of regional bias also found their way into the speeches with actress-cum-director Aparna Sen making a strong point that the USP of the festival should be that it should represent all Indian cinema.
The awards ceremony was followed by a performance by Aman and Ayan Ali Khan, sons of Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan.
The closing film of the festival was Brad Pitt starrer Babel directed by Mexico's Alejandro Gonjalez Inarittu.
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