Shillong: Pradip Kurbah, national awardee and self-taught filmmaker from Meghalaya, has bagged two major honours at the 47th Moscow International Film Festival.
His Khasi-language film ‘Ha Lyngkha Bneng’ won the ‘Best Film’ award, and he was awarded ‘Best Director’ at the International Film Festival.
The awards were presented by the Network for Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC), which annually recognises outstanding feature films from the Asia-Pacific region.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma congratulated Kurbah on the remarkable achievement.
The CM said Kurbah’s feat in Russia is a proud moment for all the people in Meghalaya and added that the state government had supported Kurbah with Rs 30 lakh funding for the film.
Reacting to the win, Kurbah shared his excitement in an Instagram post: “I’m overwhelmed, humbled, and filled with gratitude. Ha Lyngkha Bneng has just won Best Film and Best Director at the 47th Moscow International Film Festival.”
“To say this is a dream come true would still fall short of what I feel right now,” he added.
Kurbah won the National award in 2014. He dedicated the award to the people of Meghalaya who supported local cinema and his film crew.
Kurbah is a self-taught filmmaker who promoted the state’s local talent and the picturesque landscape.
