I Rise, a Manipuri film based on the life of India’s ace boxer Laishram Sarita Devi has bagged the Best Documentary Award in the 9th Mumbai Short International Film Festival (MSIFF) 2020.
The 52-minute documentary, which was directed and cinematographed by Manipur’s National Award-winning filmmaker Borun Thokchom and is produced by Films Division, Mumbai, was adjudged best among 19 documentaries selected for the competition.
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The 19 documentaries consisted of four each from India and Spain, three from the United States, two each from Germany and France, one each from Croatia, Brazil, Hungary and Poland.
A total of 392 documentaries from more than 55 countries took part in the festival this year to vie for the awards in different categories.
The MSIFF started its progressive cinema movement in 2012 with an aim to showcase work of established and aspiring filmmakers in the form of short films, animations, documentaries and music videos aimed to create short film culture in India.
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Filmmaker Thokchom has expressed happiness for the recognition.
“I want to give credit to the entire team of I Rise and Sarita’s family for their full cooperation, starting from the beginning of the film,” Borun said.
The documentary, which is based on the life of Sarita Devi, a seven-time Asian Championship medallist, begins with the historic 2014 Asian Games in Incheon where the boxer refused to accept the bronze medal after protesting against the match decision.
In October, I Rise bagged the Best Film on Women’s Outstanding Achievement Award at the Tagore International Film Festival 2020 in West Bengal.
Earlier, Borun’s documentary titled The Silent Poet won national award in 2011.