‘Look At The Sky’ wins best short fiction award at 12th IDSFFK

Second short film win for the young Naga director Ashok Veilou of Purul village; ‘Tou-Tai (Seed)’ was his debut win at the Golden Royal Bengal Tiger for best short film in the year 2016.

A 30-minute film titled ‘Look At The Sky,’ directed and written by Ashok Veilou from Manipur’s Senapati district, won the best short fiction award at the 12th International documentary and short film festival of Kerala (IDSFFK) which concluded on June 26 at Thiruvananthapuram.

The six-day festival, which had over the years evolved as the key platform for non-fiction filmmaking in the country, was organised by the Kerala State Chalchitra Academy as a part of its endeavour to catalyse a vibrant documentary and short film movement.

More than 200 short films and documentaries were screened during the festival.

The Poumai film, which was edited by Pousheru Ngade, narrates how a man was outcast by his villagers for not supporting the village candidate during the election. It features Ngaole Hepunii of Koide village, also in Senapati district, in the lead role. The wife is played by one Angela Pou and the two sons by Sousii Veipou and Thole Rahavei.

Both Ashok and Pousheru Ngade are residents of Purul village in Senapati district and former students of Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute (SRFTI) in Kolkata.

This short fiction film has beaten 18 other films during the IDSFFK competition category to get the award while the second best short fiction was “Dying Wind in her hair (Bebaak)” directed by one Shazia Iqbal.

Also, in November last year, ‘Look At The Sky’ won the best film award by beating 11 other short films at the 24th Kolkata International Film Festival.

Veilou’s film “Tou-Tai (Seed)” had also won the Golden Royal Bengal Tiger for best short film in the year 2016.

The 28-year-old director who completed his three-year PG in direction and screenplay writing from SRFTI, Kolkata, is the son of Thaipei Peter of Purul Village.

According to family sources, Ashok is a very simple and down-to-earth person and continue to focus on his career.

On getting the award, Ashok expressed his gratitude to the people of Purul, Koide, Oinam and Shirong for the making the film possible. “My people are the backbone of the film. I want to tell their stories for the better world,” he said.

His elder brother Alexander Leo Pou is also a renowned documentary film maker, who is presently working at National Film Development Corporation.

(Our Correspondent)