Documenting South Asia on film

Film Southasia Festival of Documentaries, which opened on 21 November by director Kabir Khan, wrapped up on Sunday with the Best Film trophy going to 6-A Akash Ganga directed by Nirmal Chander Dhandriyal of India.

The three-member jury noted that the documentary was 'a mesmerising tribute to the enigmatic Hindustani classical musician Annapurna Devi, whose genius shaped generations yet whose life remains shrouded in mystery.'

'It was directed with sensitivity and reverence, the film masterfully combines archival footage, intimate interviews, and rare performances to peel back the layers of a recluse who became a legend,” the Jury wrote.

The Jury Award was split between two films Devi by Subina Shrestha of Nepal and Chardi Kala – An Ode to Resilience by Prateek Shekhar of India, with the jury noting: 'The two exceptional films, each addressing the profound undercurrents of conflict in South Asia, are being awarded the Jury Prize jointly, standing together as equal bearers of the region’s most urgent stories.'

This year, Film Southasia also honoured filmmaker India's Anand Patwardhan with the ‘Documentary Stalwart Award’ honouring his decades of films focused on social justice, humanity and memory.

The Best Student Film Award went to Hello Guyzz! by Samiksha Mathur from India. The Tareque Masud Best Debut Film Award went to Siege in the Air by Muntaha Amin. The Best Film on Depiction of the Climate Crisis, sponsored by ICIMOD, went to A Flaming Forest by Salman Javeed, Vivek Singh Sangwan and Satya Ambasta. 

This year’s edition of the biennial South Asian film festival featured 47 films from 9 countries, screened over 4 days shortlisted from over 2,000 submissions. With the theme, Documentary in Anthropocene, this year’s festival focused on the planetary breakdown, including in South Asia, while also presenting many documentaries that touched lives across boundaries. 

The festival was also host to workshops and discussions, kicking off with a directing workshop with Bollywood director Kabir Khan. ‘Kathaharu’ and the ‘WOW Festival’ conducted masterclasses with Jane Mote, The Whickers, UK, and film editor Shweta Venkat, in collaboration with Film Southasia. Other discussions were held on the themes ‘Understanding the Anthropocene’, ‘The Evolution of the Nepali Documentary’’ and ‘The Sudden Runaway Success of Nepali Cinema’. 

The jury mewmbers were Farjad Nabi (Lahore), Anitha Pottumkulam (Chennai) and Kiran Krishna Shrestha (Kathmandu). In their closing remarks, highlighted the importance and urgency of the theme related to human-induced deterioration of the environment, jury member Shrestha said, “This year’s theme—Anthropocene—is not just timely but essential. It is a stark reminder that what we share cannot be restrained by borders.”