It would be a double celebration for young filmmaker Rajneel Singh when he picks up an Award as the New Zealand winner of the ‘2011 Western Union Best Short Film Competition’ at the Indian Film Festival.
Thirty-one-year old Rajneel won the Award for his Blank Spaces, a film that captures New Zealand’s stunning landscape, diversity of people and richness of culture. The film had won the top award at the Big Break Competition organised by Tourism New Zealand last year.
Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive Kevin Bowler said, “Shooting a three-minute film is in itself a tall order but the contestants had to face a few other challenges, including making it in Queenstown in 14 days, with preproduction, filming and postproduction completed in respectively five, two and seven days.
Awarding Winning Director Sir Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings, Return of the King) made available his preproduction facility in Wellington for the finalists and chose the winner.
Other Winners
In Australia, Ridwan Hassim was declared winner of the ‘2011 Western Union Short Film Competition’ for his film Khatabah. Collin D’Cunha won the International Award for his film Mumbaikar Ganesh.
Varan Sharma’s Adjust, which tells the story of an Indian student realising his Australian dre
am received an ‘Honourable Mention.’
The Film Festival
Mind Blowing Films Limited is organising the Festival called, Bollywood & Beyond on either side of the Tasman.
The Festival began in Sydney on March 9 and will run at Hoyts Cinema Paris until March 19, at Hoyts Melbourne Central from March 11 to 20, at Mercury Cinema Adelaide from March 22 to 27and at Hoyts Sylvia Park Auckland from March 24 to April 3.
The Festival will open in Auckland on March 24 at 730 pm in the presence of Bollywood actress Juhi Chawla and Director Onirban Dhar. They will participate in a Question & Answer Session relating to their film I Am, which will be screened under the ‘New Zealand Premiers’ Section.
Mitu Bhowmick Lange, Director of Mind Blowing Films Limited said Collin will be flown to Australia while Ridwan and Rajneel will later be flown to Mumbai.
“They will also attend the 2011 Indian Film Festival Gala Awards night in Melbourne and each of the three winning films will be screened at the 2011 Indian Film Festival and on SBS (Australia), Triangle and Stratos (NZ) and World Movies (India) which boasts a daily audience of 30 million,” she said.
International Appeal
She said Rajneel has had a whirlwind of success, culminating in the grand prize at the ‘2011 Western Union Indian Film Festival.’
Rajneel was also acknowledged for his other film, Big Bad Wolves at the 33rd Clermont Ferrand International Film Festival held at Clermont Ferrand in the District of Auvergne in France last month.
During his stay, the Australian Embassy in Paris invited him to screen Blank Spaces at a special event.
Rajneel described the ‘2011 Western Union Best Short Film Award’ as “fantastic and incredible.”
“I am honoured to be recognised by a great panel of judges. The speed at which things have been happening has really taken me aback. It has a snowball effect that seems to get faster and faster,” he said.
Rajneel said he was overwhelmed by the international response for Blank Spaces.
“I am over the Moon that my New Zealand film has such an international appeal. It gives me an immense sense of inspiration to push myself farther with filmmaking,” he said.
Members of Parliament Dr Ashraf Choudhary, Dr Rajen Prasad (Labour) and Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi (National) will be among the special guests at the Festival in Auckland.
The Indian Film Festival 2011
In Auckland from March 24 at Hoyts, Sylvia Park
Opening Night: I Am
Subsequent Screening: New Zealand Premiers:
It’s a wonderful Afterlife, Just Another Love Story, Mee Sindhutai Sapkal, Mirch, Udaan and West Is West.
Others: Dhobi Ghat, Peepli Live; My Name is Khan; Raajneeti; Band Baaja Baraat; Guzaarish; Saat Khoon Maaf; Tere Bin Laden; Mirch (NZ Premier); Dabangg; No One Killed Jessica
Other Centres: Sydney (From March 8), Melbourne (from March 11), Adelaide (from March 22)
Contact: Sandeep Khurana on 021831968
Email: sandeepkhurana@gmail.com
