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Chinese film bags top award

Staff Reporter

WINNER'S SMILE: A representative of the production house of Chinese film `The story of Xiao Yan' holds aloft the Golden Elephant award at the valedictory of the 14th International Children's Film Festival in Hyderabad on Sunday. - Photo: Mohd. Yousu f

HYDERABAD: Chinese film "The Story of Xiao Yan," directed by Fang Gangliang, bagged the Golden Elephant Award at the 14th International Children Film Festival here on Sunday evening.

Om Bhutkar, Chairman, Children Jury, announced the Children's Jury Golden Plague Award with a cash prize of Rs. 50,000 for "Hayat" (Iran), the 80-minute film directed by Gholam Reza Ramezani. Jury members E. Monica Balindra, Jaideep Mishra, A. Sashi Kumar and Sukanya Banerjee were present.

Glittering function

A glittering function marked the close of the week-long festival at the Lalitha Kala Thoranam. The awards were given away by S. Jaipal Reddy who until recently held the Information and Broadcasting portfolio. Suhasini Manirathnam, Chairperson, International Jury, introduced jury members -- Lars Berg (Norway), Tsvetomira Nikolova (Bulgaria), Jane Schoettle (Canada) and Gunnam Gangaraju (India).

The seven Silver Elephant Awards, which come with a Rs. 50,000 cash prize, are as follows:

Best Child Artiste: Jahangir for "Behind the Curtain of Fog" (Iran) directed by Parviz Sheikh Tadi. Special Jury Prize: "The Dog, the General and the Birds" (France). Best Director: Fang Gangliang for "The Story of Xiao Yan" (China). Best non-fiction film: "Children of Nomads" (India), directed by Meenakshi V. Rai. Best Animation short film: "Hello" (Australia), directed by Jonathan Nix. Best Live Action short film: Once Again Rain (Iran), directed by Ali Vazirian.

Best Live Action feature film: "Fia" (Norway), directed by Elsa Kramme.

Jayasudha, Chairperson, Asian Panorama Jury, introduced jury members, including Ali Shah - Hatami (Iran), Mieke De Wulf (Belgium), Jonathan Nix (Australia) and Manju Singh (India).

Hit `Album'

The Silver Elephant for the Best Film in the section went to the 101-minute Iranian film, "Album," directed by Reza Heydarnejad.

The Silver Elephant for the Best Child Artiste in this section went together to Mahsa Saeedi (Album-Iran) and Hamed (The Squeaking Shoes-Iran).

All speakers, including Union Ministers Jaipal Reddy, Dasari Narayana Rao (Coal), State Minister M. Satyanarayana Rao (Culture and Cinematography), actors Venkatesh, Jackie Shroff, Tabu and Chairman, Andhra Pradesh State Film, TV and Theatre Development Corporation G. Adiseshagiri Rao stressed the need for making more children's films. Mr. Narayana Rao recalled that the first children's film to be made in India was in Telugu. Mr. Jaipal Reddy said the State had provided land to the Children's Film Society of India.

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