Phuttiphong Aroonpheng’s “Manta Ray” won the Mumbai Film Festival’s Golden Gateway award in the international competition on Thursday. It previously won best film at Venice’s Horizon section and has toured the Toronto, Thessaloniki, San Sebastian festivals.
Marcelo Martinessi’s “The Heiresses” won the Silver Gateway award in the competition, after winning accolades worldwide, including three awards at Berlin. Another globally lauded film, Gabrielle Brady’s, “Island of the Hungry Ghosts,” won the international competition’s grand jury prize.
Rima Das’ “Bulbul Can Sing” won the Golden Gateway in the India Gold competition section. Das’ “Village Rockstars” was feted in Mumbai in 2017, and is India’s entry to the Oscars foreign language category. The Silver Gateway in the Indian competition was split between Ridham Janve’s “The Gold-Laden Sheep & the Sacred Mountain” and Rotterdam title “Jonaki”, by Aditya Vikram Sengupta.
“Jonaki” also won a special mention at the festival’s Oxfam awards for gender equality, as did “Sivaranjani and Two Other Women” by Vasanth Sai. Ivan Ayr’s Venice and London title “Soni” won best film in the category. All the nominated films were directed by men.
Darren Aronofsky received the festival’s excellence in cinema award. Aronofsky said, “I’ve been to Mumbai a few times, and it is always completely insane, more insane than New York City,” to rapturous applause from the audience. “It has incredible people and incredible food, and it is one of the great fountains of movies in the world. And so, to get this honor in Mumbai means a lot.”