Tribeny Rai's 'Shape of Momo' Wins Top Prize at Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles
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Tribeny Rai's debut feature 'Shape of Momo' won the Grand Jury Prize for best feature at the 24th Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA). The festival, which showcased 27 films from across the globe, also awarded audience and industry prizes, highlighting new South Asian and diaspora talent.
Facts First
- Tribeny Rai's 'Shape of Momo' won the Grand Jury Prize for best feature at the 24th IFFLA.
- The Audience Choice Award for best feature went to 'Breaking the Code', which also opened the festival.
- Amarik Singh Khosa's project 'Blind Tiger' won the Launchpad: Pitch Competition, receiving a $10,000 development grant.
- The festival featured 27 films from countries including India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, and the U.S.
- Honorable mentions were awarded to features 'Lali' and 'Ghost School' by the feature jury.
What Happened
At the 24th Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA), Tribeny Rai's debut feature "Shape of Momo" won the Grand Jury Prize for best feature. The feature jury, composed of cinematographer Farhad Ahmed Dehlvi, filmmaker Juan Pablo González, and film curator Caroline Libresco, also awarded honorable mentions to Sarmad Sultan Khoosat's "Lali" and Seemab Gul's "Ghost School." The festival's Audience Choice Award for best feature... went to Ben Rekhi and Swetlana's "Breaking the Code," which served as the festival opener.
In the shorts category, Jasmine Kaur Roy and Avinash Roy's "Room at the Farm" won the Grand Jury Prize for best short. Suraj Paudel's "Rihanna" won the Audience Choice Award for best short. The shorts jury was composed of film curator Malin Kan and filmmaker Alisha Tejpal.
During the IFFLA Industry Days, Amarik Singh Khosa's project "Blind Tiger"... won the Launchpad: Pitch Competition and received a $10,000 development grant. An honorable mention in the competition went to Priyanka Krishnan and Raman Nimmala's project "Thottal Poo Malarum" (Flowers Bloom When Touched).
The 24th IFFLA featured 27 films, including seven narrative features, two documentary features, and 18 shorts from countries including India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Japan, Malaysia, the U.K., and the U.S. The festival closed with Anusha Rizvi's social satire "The Great Shamsuddin Family."
Why this Matters to You
If you enjoy discovering new international cinema, this festival's winners may soon become available on streaming platforms or in limited theatrical releases, offering you a window into diverse South Asian and diaspora stories. The industry grants awarded could help bring new series and films to production, expanding the variety of content you have access to.
What's Next
The winning films and projects are likely to gain increased visibility, which could help them secure wider distribution deals. The development grant for "Blind Tiger" may accelerate its path to production, potentially leading to a new series for audiences to watch.