Thanedar bags ‘Champion of Social Causes’ award at DCSAFF, Sharmila Tagore named Best Female Actor

DC South Asian Film Festival announces 2024 Jury Awards

The DC South Asian Film Festival (DCSAFF) has announced its 2024 Jury awards, celebrating an array of independent films that premiered at the event. This year’s festival featured world, U.S., and DC premieres across feature, short, and documentary film categories. The films were evaluated on a range of criteria, including storytelling, technical aspects, acting, and social messaging.

U.S. Congressman Shri Thanedar opened the festival on September 13th, with the screening of his short film Dear Pra, which touches on the crucial issue of mental health. The event drew filmmakers and actors from around the world, including directors Suman Ghosh and Nitin Adsul, and actors Rituparna Sengupta, Indrani Davaluri, and Zen Dot. The festival’s opening red carpet and meet-and-greet were hosted by TV personality Nilima Mehra.

RELATED: DCSAFF kicks off on September 13: Key films to watch (September 8, 2024)

In-person screenings took place at the Cinema Arts Theater in Fairfax, VA, and the Writers Center in Bethesda, MD. More information on the festival can be found at dcsaff2024.eventive.org.

Here are the 2024 Jury Award winners:

– Champion of Social Causes: U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar
– Best Feature Film: Puratawn
– Best Female Actor: Sharmila Tagore (Puratawn)
– Best Male Actor: Yugam Sood (Dear Jassi)
– Best Director: Shoaib Sultan (Gunjal)
– Best Debut Feature Film: Andhela Ravamidhi
– Best Short Film: A Night, After All
– Best Short Film Social Message: Dear Pra
– Best Documentary Jury Mention: Ray of Hope
– Best Short Documentary: Broken Mirrors
– Best Music Documentary: Mic Drop
– Best Short Documentary Jury Mention: Aftershock of a Trauma
– Best Debut Director Short Film: Chhaya Nene (Kurta Pants)

Since its inception in 2012, DCSAFF has evolved into one of the leading platforms for South Asian artists in the United States. In 2017, the festival established the DC South Asian Arts Council Inc. (DCSAACI), a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting South Asian arts across film, literature, and music. The organization’s various festivals have attracted diverse audiences, fostering cultural exchange and appreciation.

RELATED: Washington, DC, prepares for DCSAFF, South Asian arts extravaganza (September 5, 2024)

DCSAACI’s advisory board includes luminaries such as renowned director and screenwriter Shyam Benegal and acclaimed author and poet Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni.

This year’s festival featured 50 films from seven countries, presented in 11 languages, including 12 premieres and seven documentaries. Notably, 10 of the films were directed by women. The in-person portion of the festival ran from September 13–15 and 22, with virtual screenings continuing through September 30, 2024.

For more information, visit dcsaff2024.eventive.org] or dcsaaci.org.