Two films from Assam made it big at the annual Film Bazaar in Goa. Bhaskar Hazarika’s ‘Ravening’ (Aamis) and Jadab Mahanta’s ‘Rukuni Koina’ (The Holy Bride) have won the awards which will help these filmmakers to work in collaboration with India’s prominent production houses.
Bhaskar Hazarika’s ‘Aamis’ won the Facebook award for the ‘project with the most buzz’ at the Film Bazaar. The award was calculated on audience votes and number of visits to the film at the Bazaar’s viewing room. The project gets USD 10,000 worth of advertising on Facebook.
‘Aamis’ previously featured in the 2017 Asian Project Market at Busan. Hazarika’s debut ‘Kothanodi’ (The River of Fables) had considerable festival play in 2015, including Busan, London and Gothenburg.
“This award will be of tremendous help to us when we begin our publicity campaign to support our theatrical release next year. The film is complete and we are awaiting confirmation from global festivals for our world premiere,” Hazarika told The News Mill.
‘Aamis’ is a dark love story that features two talented first time actors – Lima Das and Arghadeep Barua.
Jadab Mahanta’s debut film ‘Rukuni Koina’ (The Holy Bride) which also won the award will be given the opportunity to work in Prasad Labs for digital intermediate (DI) process for free and USD 3000 worth of trailer promotion in 300 cinemas.
“It’s a great thing for me and my film. I have never been trained in filmmaking so this platform will help me in a huge way. I think not just me, it can be helpful for hundred others as well,” an excited Mahanta told The News Mill.
National award winning film critic and filmmaker Utpal Borpujari said that this kind of platforms have been a great help not just the upcoming filmmakers but also veterans to take their film in the next level.
“Films at their various stages starting from script level to completion are presented in such platforms for co-productions and marketing among others. Now, these films will get the due exposure and will get noticed. Jadab Mahanta will get quality work at Prasad Lab which is India’s one of the most prominent post-production lab. Similarly, Bhaskar Hazarika too will get promoted in Facebook which will be very helpful,” Borpujari said.
