Manipur

Imphal: Manipur’s popular filmmaker, Mayanglambam Romi Meitei’s “Eikhoigi Yum” (Our house), set in Loktak, the largest freshwater lake in northeastern India with the fishing community facing an eviction notice, wins the FIPRESCI award for Best International Film and NETPAC JURY Special Mention Award at the 27th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK).

“Eikhoi Yum” competed in the International competition that had 14 films from countries like Germany, Bolivia, Tanzania, Brazil, Iran, Israel, Vietnam, Turkey, Spain, etc.

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The 8-day-long International Film Festival of Kerala which began on December 9 and concluded on December 16, 2022, showcased 180 films, screening at 14 theatres and over 13 thousand film delegates registered for the film festival, Sunzu Bachaspatimayum, Secretary of the MSFDS in a statement issued here on Saturday said.

The 89-minute long fiction feature, produced by ChingshubamSheetal and Romi Meitei, had earlier won the Best feature film award at the 14th Manipur State Film Awards 2022, organized by Manipur State Film Development Society of the Directorate of Art & Culture, Government of Manipur.

Set in Loktak, the largest freshwater lake in northeastern India with the fishing communities facing an eviction notice, “Eikhoi Yum” is a narrative on the impact of globalization on a small remote village which causes the residents to move away in an attempt to eke out a livelihood, the statement said.

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Presenting the best of World Cinema, and Malayalam Cinema and also featuring competition for films from Asian, African, and Latin American countries, IFFK has evolved to be one of the prominent film festivals of India, organized by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy under the aegis of the Department of Cultural Affairs, Government of Kerala. Over the years, the IFFK has come to be known as Asia’s one of the best managed and most people-centred film festivals. The Festival attracts the best films, renowned directors, technicians, and spectators from across the globe and is acknowledged as one of the leading cultural events in India.

This year’s festival was impressive in terms of audience participation and screening of value-based films. The Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Hungarian filmmaker Bela Tarr by Kerala minister of Registration & Cooperation, V.N. Vasavan. Prominent writer M. Mukundan who was the chief guest of the closing function said that the film festival should be used as a means of building a wall of defense against those who obstruct the freedom of expression.

The MSFDS congratulates Romi Meitei and his entire film crew for winning glory for Manipuri Cinema at the international forum. (The end)