Curtains of the 26th Kolkata International Film Festival came down today, with the Iranian movie, Bandar Band, winning the Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award for the best film for Innovation In Moving Images in international competition category. The winner, Manijeh Hekmat, who is the director and one of the producers of the film was awarded a prize money of Rs 51 lakhs by the state Urban Development minister, Firhad Hakim in the concluding ceremony at Ekatar Mancha. Kyrgystanian filmmaker, Artykpai Suiundukov, was given the Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award for ‘The Best Director’ with prize money of Rs 21 lakhs under the category of Innovation In Moving Images’in international competition.

While the award for Special Jury Mention in the Innovation In Moving Images in international competition category was announced for the Ukrainian film Blindfoldby Taras Doron. Rahul Riji Nair’s The False Eye was deemed as the winner of the best film for Hiralal Sen Memorial Award on Indian Language’s Films, with price money of rupees seven lakhs. While Biswajeet Bora was given the award for the ‘Best Director’ for his film God On The Balcony in Assamese language in the same category. Rezwan Shahriar Sumit’s direction The Salt In Our Waters became the winner for the best film in the Asian Select-NETPAC section. It was the only film screened at the 26 KIFF from the neighbouring country this year.

The award for the best short film under National Competition on Indian Short Films was given to Ujjwal Pal’s film Duskand Highways of Life won the award for the best documentary film under the National Competition on Indian Documentary Films category. With strict Covid-19 norms in place and winners unable to be physically present at the closing ceremony today, the awardees expressed their joy virtually. Films of artists who died in 2020 screened at KIFF: Movies of renowned actors and directors who died last year have been screened at the 26th KIFF.

Movies directed by filmmakers Kim Ki Duk of South Korea and Fernando Solanas of Argentina and films starring actors Soumitra Chatterjee, Irrfan Khan, Rishi Kapoor, Tapas Paul and danseuse Amala Shankar were screened at six state-run theatres in Kolkata between January 8 and 15 under the special tribute section. Films screened under the section include Duk’s Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter…and Spring(2003), Solanas’ South (1988) and eight movies starring Soumitra Chatterjee, including Ganadevata(1978), Akash Kusum (1965), Koni (1984) and Mayurakshi(2017). Khan’s acclaimed movie Paan Singh Tomar (2012), Kapoor’s Mulk (2018), Pal’s Dadar Kirti (1980) and Atta Aater Bongaon Local(2012) and Santu Mukherjee’s Hemanter Pakhi’ (2001) were also shown.