Naga film wins at Kolkata International Film Festival

Eastern Mirror Desk
Dimapur, Nov. 17: A short film titled “Look At The Sky” directed by Ashok Veilou, a Poumai Naga from Manipur, won the Best Film award at the 24th Kolkata International Film Festival (Kiff) held from Nov. 10 to 17th.

“Look At The Sky” beat 11 other films, including Shaqyo’s “Head,” Gaurav Madan’s “Sambavtaha” (Probably), and Ganesh Shelar’s “Gadhul” (Turbid) in the short film category to win the prestigious award that comes with Golden Royal Bengal Tiger trophy besides cash prize.

A total of 171 feature films, and 150 shorts and documentaries from 70 countries were screened at the film festival this year.

It is the second time that Veilou has won award at the Kiff. His film “Tou-Tai (Seed) had won the Golden Royal Bengal Tiger for best Short Film in 2016.

“Look At The Sky” is about a man who courageously fights for his rights after being outcast from his own birthplace for not supporting the village candidate in the election. It features Ngaole Hepunii of Koide village in the lead role. Veilou wrote and directed the film, while Pousheru Ngade edited it. Both of them are from Purul village in Senapati district, Manipur, and product of Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Kolkata.

However, documentary film titled “Pony Tale” directed by popular Poumai filmmaker Alexander Leo Pou and edited by Pousheru Ngade didn’t win. Alexander is elder brother of the winning director Veilou and currently serving as the Film Facilitation Officer (eastern region) under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, government of India.