Jury Citation
“In a ritual of spring, Ghafoor led his family and his livestock over the PirPanjal, in the migration to summer pasture. A snow storm at the pass turned the annual journey into an epic adventure. A film that began as a documentary of pastoral life was transformed into a celebration of heroism. Through Shabir Khan’s lens, we watched the 75 year-old herdsman galvanised by elemental threats, ministering now to a fallen pack animal, now to a shivering child. Even while depicting the challenges of a life eked from harsh nature, the film reminds us of the heroic march of human progress.”

Best Short Documentary

Jury Citation
‘Bottle Masala in Moile’ works at two levels – firstly, by telling the story of a community that is no longer significant to the modern, homogenising narrative of a metropolis; secondly, by painting the tensions between traditional livelihoods that depend on terrain and geography, and the advance of urban infrastructure, which values concrete above mangroves, time above space, and access above all. A significant contribution to our understanding of Mumbai in particular, and urbanization in general.”

JURY CITATION
“When Jivu Ben and her band deal with the unexpected losses at this year’s Donkey Fair, our hearts reach out to them. It is Rakesh Shukla’s achievement that he is able to bring us so close to his subjects, and through them to the millions of traders and businessmen who deal with risk and distance, hard work and deprivation. Rakesh Shukla’s film is a salute to the spirit of entrepreneurship, a reminder that it exists deep and wide, far beyond the front pages of business magazines and pink papers.”

JURY CITATION
“This visually stylish film allows the sound-track to be dictated by its most colourful protagonist. At one level, it is the story of the decline of an industry, and the search for an alternative livelihood. At another, deeper level, it makes the viewer ponder the meaning of success. If you can be a hero to yourself, then you have liberated yourself from that most pernicious of human afflictions, poor self-esteem.”

JURY CITATION
“Every frame of this film is an aesthetic delight, lit as if by a studio photographer, rather than a documentary camera. ‘Have You Seen the Arana’ flows from one scenario to another, in a stream of cultural context and consciousness, an enviable fluidity that is a testament to the craft of editing”

JURY CITATION
‘Can we see the Baby Bump please’ is an even-handed film about a contentious issue. While raising questions regarding regulation and explanation, it sets the larger socio-economic context in which women choose to play the alienating role of surrogate mother. We commend it for its quiet, careful exploration of a complex issue.