Kendrapada: Acclaimed film-maker Pranab Kumar Aich's documentaries ‘Manayun: My Wonderland' and ‘Torch' earned top honours at the 34th Odisha state film awards held in Bhubaneswar on Sunday, winning best documentary and the special jury award, respectively.
‘Manayun: My Wonderland,' a 13-minute documentary, portrays a dedicated teacher educating tribal children in Dahanipadar, a remote village in Kalahandi district's Maoist-affected region. ‘Torch,' running 22 minutes, showcases a specially-abled boy from Konark with exceptional technological innovation skills.
Both films premiered at the 2022 Durban International Film Festival and have been screened at over 12 international film festivals. This recognition comes after 15 years of Aich's work being celebrated internationally while overlooked locally.
Aich, originally from Jajpur district, runs a pan-India film production company based in Bhubaneswar. His previous accolades include the 2009 Sony World Photography Award at Cannes. His short film ‘City's Step Child' (2016) received acclaim at over 30 international festivals.
Recently, his documentary ‘Nanda Mastraanka Chatasali' about a centenarian teacher, was nominated for the Asian NETPAC Award at the 2023 Kolkata International Film Festival.