GANGTOK,: Even before its completion, Tribeny Rai's upcoming film ‘Shape of Momo’ is garnering national and international attention, shining a spotlight on Sikkim.
During the recent Work-in-Progress Lab at Film Bazaar 2024 held in Goa, the two films ‘Shape of Momo’ by Tribeny Rai and ‘Hunter’s Moon’ by Ridham Janve were declared as joint winners.
The two films win various in-kind support from Prasad Lab and Nube Studio. The achievement made by the Sikkimese filmmaker’s project has been covered by national and international media including US-based popular online news house ‘Variety’.
The ‘Shape of Momo’ was among the six exceptional films selected by the National Film Development Corporation of India (NDFC) for the Work-in-Progress at Film Bazaar 2024. The market ran concurrently with the International Film Festival of India at Goa from November 20 to 28.
The prizes were presented at the closing event of Film Bazaar at the Marriott Resort hotel in Panjim with Prithul Kumar, joint secretary, Broadcasting, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and managing director, NFDC and Vrunda Manohar Desai, joint secretary Films, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and managing director, NFDC, present.
They were joined on stage by Jerome Paillard, former head of the Cannes Market and now an advisor to Film Bazaar.
“Festival programmers and producers from around the world attend Film Bazaar, but many still know very little about Sikkim and its people. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to showcase our story and represent our community on such a platform. I'm confident that many foreign delegates now have a clearer idea of where Sikkim is,” said Tribeny.
Tribeny Rai, a native of Nandok near Ranipool, has already won multiple national awards for her short films. The ‘Shape of Momo’ is her first full length Nepali feature film and it describes the journey of a woman who is determined not to let patriarchy and its influence push her down. The film has been shot extensively in and around Nandok, and now it is heading towards post-production.
“We are yet to begin post-production, which is a highly expensive process. We are incredibly grateful for the grant we received from the Work-in-Progress Lab, as making an independent film is extremely challenging. However, we are still seeking additional funds to complete our project,” said Tribeny.