Documentary and short film awards | NIFF 2021 | Nepal International Film Festival

NIFF 2021 (Online) has come to a close, and its awards winning films have been announced. For the documentary and short film awards, verdict came from the 4-person jury panel headed by Prof. Fowzia Fathima (cinematographer, documentary filmmaker from India) and involving Raj Bhai Suwal (director of photography – Nepal), Dr. Swarnavel Eswaran (documentary filmmaker and associate professor – USA), and Yulia Kovanova (artist, environmental filmmaker, curator – Scotland).

According to the final verdict, there are five recipients of various awards under the documentary and short film competitions. Starting with,

Cited as

“A beautifully paced film evoking a strong sense of place. A scarecrow manages to convey a moving argument in favor of equality of children’s education, with a light touch and a refined focus on day-to-day reality revolving around economic insecurity, livelihood, deprivation, exclusion, marginality and gender.”

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Bagmati Award for the Best short film in the Shorts Live Action category (in the international competition) goes to (‘God’s Daughter Dances’ – South Korea, directed by Sungbin Byun)

Cited as

“God’s Daughter Dances is evocative in its juxtaposition of the politics surrounding sexual orientation with art/dance at the intersection of transphobia, draft, state, patriarchy, and marginalization and rebellion. It is poignant in its rendering of its queer politics and the assertion of the dignity of her artistic persona/being of its protagonist, Shin-mi.”

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Manjushree Award for the Best short film in the Shorts Animated category (in the international competition) goes to (‘Überfrog’ – Finland, directed by Tuomas Kurtakko)

Cited as

Überfrog starts with the titular frog from going after a dragonfly with its protruding eyes and prominent wings. But the futile chase gradually leads the frog to realize the quintessence of its being-it can live on land and water. Its in-between space becomes a cause for celebration as it can reach out to species on both sides and rather than chasing be inviting and including. Thus the frog’s amphibian consciousness becomes creative and productive. The film is a metaphor for inclusivity and coexistence rather than competition and conquest. It draws our attention to the topical issue of the loss of habitat due to the colonizing humans.

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Award for the Best Film in the Pandemic Film Exhibit goes to the documentary film (‘Civil Soldiers’ – Nepal, directed by Ganesh Pandey)

Cited as

“Civil Soldiers makes visible the work done by civilians for the cause of humanity during a pandemic, which is generally considered the greatest challenge ever faced by the world. The jury was moved to see the spirit of community among the civil soldiers as they are putting their life on the line to save and protect their fellow beings. It is to the recording of their humane spirit of service and resilience that this award is given as a tribute. The consideration of aesthetics and technical finesse were secondary to the sprit of service across demographics.”

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Mt. Everest for the Best documentary film in the DOCS @ NIFF category goes to (‘Return to the Lost Eden’ – Switzerland, directed by Adriano Zecca)

Cited as

In the true sprit of ethnography where the power of the filmmaker from outside is acknowledged and the orientalistic look is undermined, Adriano Zeneca revisits the Mentawai people along with his family. Their reunion in Siberut Island in Indonesia leads us though a journey across time and memory, longing and love to the possibilities of connection and communication across distance, language, culture, and skin color. Return to the Lost Eden, as the name suggests is a paean to humane values that are becoming rapidly scarce in this globalizing world

NIFF 2021 has finally wrapped up, and we have decided to hold a formal physical award ceremony to hand over the trophies to Nepali films and filmmakers once the current lockdown period in Kathmandu is over.