Sengadal wins the NAWFF Award at Tokyo

Sengadal nominated for Network of Asian Women’s Film Festivals (NAWFF) Award

Sengadal by Chennai-based filmmaker, Leena Manimekalai, wins the Network of Asian Women’s Film Festival (NAWFF) Award for 2011. The NAWFF Award aims to recognise and promote talented women filmmakers in Asia. A special jury comprising representatives from Women’s International Film Festivals in Korea, Japan, India and Taiwan, met in Tokyo to select the winner. A total of 5 films drawn from Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Israel and India competed for the NAWFF award. Sengadal was highly commended as a bold and brave film that sensitively portrayed the plight of the fisher folk in Dhanushkodi, caught as they were in the interstices of a long and difficult ethnic conflict in Sri Lanka between the Sinhalese and Tamil people. With live footage and interviews, the film was appreciated as a stellar piece of work by a young and talented filmmaker.