UK director Dominic Murphy’s White Lightnin won the top prize in the international competition for first features at the 11th Mumbai Film Festival, organised by the Mumbai Academy of Moving Images (MAMI).

The award carries a cash prize of $107,000 (Rs5m). Italian film The Little One (La Pivellina), directed by Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel, picked up the Jury Grand Prize along with cash prize of $53,000 (Rs2.5m).

The festival jury members included Hollywood screenwriter and director Paul Schrader, Sri Lankan filmmaker Vimukthi Jayasundara, Philippine filmmaker Brillante Mendoza, Indian filmmaker Shaji N. Karun and the former director of the Locarno Film Festival Irene Bignardi.

Shyam Benegal, chairperson of MAMI, said: “This festival brought together some of the best cinematic talent from across the globe. We watched some very well-crafted films covering a range of themes and issues.”

Indian actor Amitabh Bachchan was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award and Greek filmmaker Theo Angelopoulos was honoured with the International Lifetime Achievement Award at the closing ceremony on November 5.

For the first time this year, the MFF hosted the Film Business Centre as the first step towards launching a fully-fledged film market. Though business was far from brisk, India’s Enlighten Film Society bought Indian home video rights for Lars on Triers’ Antichrist (see separate story).

Sales agents from companies including UniFrance, UK Film Council, Hanway Films and Celluloid Dreams attended the Film Business Centre.

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