Nithin Lukose’s Malayalam-language “Paka: The River of Blood,” Chhatrapal Ninawe’s Marathi-language “Ghaath” (Ambush) and Sreejith Karanavar’s Konkani-language “Aiz Maka Falea Tuka” (Today Me Tomorrow You) were among the winners at India’s Film Bazaar project market that concluded on Thursday.
“Paka” and “Ghaath” were presented in the Work in Progress lab strand of the Bazaar, while “Aiz Maka Falea Tuka” was in the Film Bazaar Recommends strand.
The projects won digital intermediate packages from Prasad Labs, and Qube’s Moviebuff Appreciation awards which includes the creation of Digital Cinema Packages.
This year saw the introduction of a new award, backed by the Institute Francais India and Produire au Sud, which provides support for script translations into French as well as two script consultations. Pasang Dawa Sherpa’s Nepali-language “Kuhiro Pariko Sahar” (“A Hidden Tale Behind The Mist”) won the award.
The Work in Progress lab mentors also gave a special mention to Tiwa-language “Sikaisal” by Dr. Bobby Sarma Baruah. There were two special mentions in the Film Bazaar Recommends strand – Abhinandan Banerjee’s Bengali-language “Manikbabur Megh” (The Cloud and the Man) and Haobam Paban Kumar’s Manipuri-language “Nine Hills One Valley.”
Normally held at the beach paradise that is Goa, this year’s edition of Film Bazaar was held entirely online due to the coronavirus pandemic. It was also postponed from its habitual late November slot.
The Bazaar is conducted annually by the National Film Development Corporation (NFDC). The market was presided over by NFDC managing director Dhanpreet Kaur and Leena Khobragade, director, Film Bazaar.
Bazaar winners frequently go on to much international success. One of the 2019 winners, Ajitpal Singh’s Hindi-language “Fire in the Mountains” (then titled “Swizerland” without the t) will have its world premiere at Sundance, while lab participant Tamil-language “Koozhangal” (Pebbles), by P.S. Vinoth Raj, will bow at the International Film Festival Rotterdam next month.