The Punjabi film Anhey Gorhey da Daan (Alms for a Blind Horse) directed by Gurvinder Singh has won US $50 thousand award (Rs 25 lakhs) at the Abu Dhabi International Film Festival, which ended today.

Alms for a Blind Horse was in the New Horizon Competition at the festival. The Jury for the competition was headed by Iranian-Kurdish filmmaker Bahman Gobadi.

The award citation praised the film based on a novel by Gurdial Singh for having “its visual style and a poetic journey indicating a new and intriguing voice to emerge from the cinematic landscape of India.” The film presents a disturbing look at the lot of the Dalits in the Punjab.

Anhey Gorhey da Daan produced by NFDC is the first ever Punjabi film, which is going around the world in various international festivals. Apart from Abu Dhabi it has been shown in Venice and in the coming weeks will be at Hong Kong, Seoul and New York festivals.

Gurvinder Singh plans to make his second full-length feature film on the 1984 Punjab based on two stories by the distinguished Punjabi writer Waryam Singh Sandhu.

At the same festival, another UK-based Punjabi film maker and director, Gemma Atwal’s documentary on the wonder kid of Orissa - Marathon Boy - bagged her an award for Best New Director, also with a cash prize of US $ 50,000.

Gurvinder Singh

Pic by Sunaina Singh

http://dearcinema.com/news/anhey-ghore-da-daan-and-marathon-boy-win-awards-at-abu-dhabi/2138

Mall Singh of SiviaaN viilage near Bathinda plays a major role in the film

Pics by Sunaina Singh

Emmanuel Singh and Kulvinder Kaur in Anhey Gorhey da Daan.

For more information:

Gurvinder Singh

gurvindarsingh@gmail.com

M: 0983 351 5896