'Sonata' strikes chord at Cinefan

Kurosawa film given top prize at festival

By PATRICK FRATER

NEW DELHI -- Kiyoshi Kurosawa's "Tokyo Sonata" was named best film Saturday at the Osian's Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema.

Annemarie Jacir, a Palestinian filmmaker blocked from returning to her home and living in Jordan, scooped the special jury prize with her film "Salt of the Sea." The pic, about a dream of returning home, also shared the Fipresci prize with Mehreen Jabbar's "Ramchand Pakistani." Nuri Bilge Ceylan from Turkey was named director for his pic "Three Monkeys," which like "Tokyo Sonata" previously appeared in the Cannes Film Festival.

In the separate Indian section, "Gulabi Talkies," helmed by Girish Kasaravalli, collected the film award. Umashree, who appeared in the film, drew the actress nod. The actor plaudit in the Indian section was shared between Rajat Kapur, for Prayas Gupta's "The Prisoner," and Govind Namdeo for Maqbool Khan's "Kabootar."

Fest, running July 10-20, was attended throughout by high-profile figures from the government and the international film world -- notably Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit and filmmakers Ramesh Sippy, Anubhav Sinha, Ketan Mehta -- as befitted an event not only feting its 10th anni but also celebrating its increasing relevance in India.

Cinefan opened with a screening of Johnnie To's "Sparrow" and closed with "Mumbai Crossing," an anthology made by 10 local directors as a tribute to modern Mumbai.

WINNERS :

Best Film
“Tokyo Sonata” Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Japan)

Special Jury Prize
“Salt of the sea” Annemarie Jacir (Palestine)

Director
Nuri Bilge Ceylan “Three Monkeys” (Turkey)

Actor
Amor Hakkar “The Yellow House” (France)

Actress (joint)
Hiam Abbas and Rona Lipaz-Michael in “The Lemon Tree” (Israel)

Fipresci (joint)
“Salt of the sea” Annemarie Jacir (Palestine)
“Ramchand Pakistani” Mehreen Jabbar (Pakistan)

Best film, all sections

Audience Award
“The Band's Visit” Eran Kolirin (Israel)

Indian section

Film
“Gulabi Talkies” Girish Kasaravalli

Actress
Umashree “Gulabi Talkies.”

Actor (joint)
Rajat Kapur “The Prisoner”
Govind Namdeo “Kabootar”