Assamese film on kids raised amid violence tops Hollywood fest

An Assamese film about children growing up in violence-hit places and witnessing brutality around them has won a top prize at the Hollywood International Cinefest for its sensitive portrayal and a striking narrative style.

Bidyut Kotoky's "Xhoixoboite Dhemalite" (Rainbow Fields) was named the Best Foreign Film for "art truly transcending geographical limits".

The festival, held in Los Angeles from June 24-25, received over 400 submissions and films from the US, the UK, France, China, South Korea, Cambodia and Hong Kong besides India.

"After Ever After", made by another Indian director Rakesh Kumar and which is about a man struggling with his nine-year-old daughter's terminal sickness, won the Best Feature award (English).

"While very different from each other, there are some striking similarities between 'After Ever After' and 'Rainbow Fields'. Both films have a particular emotional appeal, both have a child as one of the leads and both use colours in a very cinematic way. We are very proud of these two film-makers whose art truly transcends geographical limits," said festival director Zack Zublena.

Other winners include "Nothing Like the Sun" (Best Short, English) and "Maintenance Required" (Best Short, Foreign).

Mumbai-based Kotoky said this award is a sort of validation of his cry for peace in the long troubled Northeast.

"In this film, I'm talking about Assam as I know my state better than any other place. But the story of 'Xhoihobote Dhemalite' could very well have been a story of children in conflict zones from any part of this world," he said.

Multiple award-winning sound engineer Amrit Pritam, who was recently made a member of the Oscar governing body, has designed the sound for this film. He said the "beautiful movie beautifully connected to his heart and soul".

The unique feature about the Hollywood Cinefest is its focus to take the films to the people across the world by securing their distribution.

"Rainbow Fields" is semi-autobiographical in nature, being inspired by true incidents from the director's life. It stars Victor Banerjee, Nakul Vaid, Naved Aslam, Nipon Goswami and Nikumoni Barua besides supermodel Dipannita Sharma.

It is produced by India Stories, a Mumbai-based production house, and co-produced by Kotoky's Dhruv Creative Productions and Kurmasana Kreates, a US-based production house.

On the win, Banerjee said, "To share in Bidyut's overdue international recognition and also participate in an artistic accomplishment related to my beloved land of Assam, makes this one of the proudest moments of my life and career."

(This article has not been edited by DNA's editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)