Iraqi, Indian films win awards at film fest

New Delhi, March 15 (IANS) Iraqi movie "The Qandil Mountains" and "Handover" (India) won the first and second prizes respectively at the UFO 0110 International Digital Film Festival that ended Thursday.

Taha Karimi's Iraqi film, originally called "Kwestani Qandil", is an attempt to draw on the common concerns that link Arabs and Kurds as well as Turkmen and Persians.

Saurabh Kumar's "Handover" tells the story of an impoverished Dalit couple from rural India.

The third prize was bagged by "Framtedens Melogi" (Song of Tomorrow) by Jonas Bergergard and Jonas Holmstrom of Sweden, festival director Madhureeta Anand told IANS.

In the short films category, "Raag Sarkari" by Vinay Shukla (India), an absurd drama about bureaucracy and the peculiar triumph of a jailor, secured the first prize.

The second and third prizes went to "Sadaye Baran" (Sound of Rain) by Jala Saedpanah of Iran and "Le Grand Bain" (Deep End) by Tom Gargone of France.

Yaelle Kayam's (Israel) "Diploma" claimed the top honours in the student film category. It is a coming of age war film filled with hope, zeal and compassion, Anand said.

The second and third prizes were won by "Wycleczka" (The Trip) by Bartosz Kruhlik (Poland) and "Les Bons Termes Selon Dewey" (Good Terms According to Dewey) by Emilie Rosas of Canada.

During the week-long festival, 130 films from 55 countries were shown, Anand said. Five workshops and seminars were held.

"Several filmmakers even found buyers for their films," she said.

The film jury included Bollywood actress Raima Sen and Anand Gandhi, who has made short films and is now on the verge of completing his first feature film.