Srinagar, June 26: Saving The Saviour, a documentary film on Wular Lake Kashmir has won the International Award at the We Art Water Film Festival by the world prominent European water concern We Are Water Foundation, Madrid, Spain.
The film contested among the 12 semi-finalist documentary films themed water across the globe. It is a rare and unique foot for the guerrilla filmmaker Jalal Ud Din Baba, a filmmaker from Adipora, Sopore Town of Baramulla district. “I have no words to express my gratitude, appreciation, and excitement. I’m immensely thankful to the renowned and universally acclaimed international Jury chosen from Europe, in particular for liking the film narrative, treatment, intent and content, in particular, hailing the broader aspect of recognizing the redeeming difference the film and its protagonist boy Billa is making to the Wular Lake”, said the filmmaker.
filmmaker Jala Jeelani receiving an award from We Art Water Film Festival
Water causes concern, water inspires and the film is the best instrument to spread the reality of the most precious and endangered well. The record 2,400 registered participants across the globe from 127 countries had submitted their short films themed water under the three categories micro-documentary, micro-fiction and micro-animation to the film festival. Out of 2,400 films, only 37 films made it to the final selection list 12, 15 and 10 films respectively. However, Saving The Saviour clinched the show and won great honors.
The film will be screened at Roca Madrid Gallery, Spain on June 22, at 07:30 pm. GMT and filmmaker Jalal Ud Din Baba is the key speaker at the occasion and will be conferred with the award of excellence, trophy and cash prices. We Are Water Foundation; Madrid has specially invited the filmmaker to the ceremony and has sponsored all the travel and tour management expenses of the filmmaker.
“I’m humbled and look forward to representing the Jammu and Kashmir State and India as a participatory winning country at the impressive event which will be attended by more than 500 dignitary guests, celebrity filmmakers, International Jury, UN officials and delegates across Europe,” said the filmmaker.
After the Spanish premiere at Madrid, the film is slated to be screened in Barcelona, Lisbon, Shanghai, Berlin, Paris, and London. We Art Water Film Festival is an international short film festival, organized by the We Are Water Foundation, which aims to recognize and reward the talent of those people with a clear awareness of the water problem in the world and who also know how to express it in their productions. Its primary goal is to raise awareness of the water problem around the world by means of the creation of audiovisual pieces that address this pressing issue.
