A grand celebration of cinema at 9th Durgapur International Film Festival

The 9th Durgapur International Film Festival was successfully held from the 24th to the 26th of September, at the Dr. Triguna Sen Auditorium...

The 9th Durgapur International Film Festival was successfully held from the 24th to the 26th of September, at the Dr. Triguna Sen Auditorium, Jadavpur University. The three-day festival, held from 10 AM to 8 PM each day, served as a cultural hub through the screening of 70 selected films from 186 submissions, connecting hearts through the magic of cinema.

This year’s festival featured artists and filmmakers from across the globe, including participants from the United States, South Korea, France, Canada, China, Mexico, Iran, Bangladesh, and various states of India like West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Mumbai, Pune, Rajasthan, and Delhi. Their presence added vibrancy to this colourful cultural event.

Despite heavy rain on 25th and 26th of September, the festival continued to attract large crowds. Although the rain prevented more personalities from the Bengali film industry from attending, the audience turnout was impressive. Special arrangements for accommodation and meals were made for out-of-state attendees.

One of the highlights of the festival was the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award to legendary actress Madhabi Mukherjee for her outstanding contribution to cinema. A special documentary directed by filmmaker Shila Datta, paying tribute to her, was screened with many notable figures in attendance.

South Indian film actors Sathyaraj and Rohini Molleti won the Best Actor (Male) and Best Actress (Female) awards for their performances in the film “The Loner”. Renowned Bollywood actor Jayant Kripalani received the Best Critic Award (Male) for “Secrets” a short film directed by Sanjay Mishra, while celebrated Tollywood actress Anuradha Mukherjee bagged the Best Critic Award (Female). Legendary Bengali actress Tanima Sen won the Best Actress Award in short films, and Udayan Dwarah from Delhi was awarded Best Actor in short films.

“The Loner” won the award for Best Feature Film, while “Dil Kya Kahe” from Mumbai secured second place, and “Mahalakshmi Path – The Evolution” from Delhi came third.

In the Short Films category, “Yaan” from Mumbai was named Best Short Film, with “Hero” from South India and “Sarvajanik” from Hyderabad, along with “Hidden Battles of a Fragile Mind” from Mumbai, in second and third places respectively.

In the Full-Length Documentary category, “Timeless Tunes” from Kolkata was the winner, followed by “History of Artists” from Kolkata as the runner-up.

In the Short Documentary category, “Amar Desh Amar Maa” was the winner, with “Harano Sur” from Kolkata and “The Last Generation” from Assam in second and third places, respectively.

Additionally, 58 awards were presented across various categories, including Mobile Short Film, Animation, Short Films over 30 minutes, Music Videos, and for Best Director, Editor, Background Music, and Cinematography, among others. In the International Category, 20 awards were given, with winners from Canada, China, Iran, the USA, the UK, France, and Thailand.