Indian drama “Girls Will Be Girls” wins Transylvania Film Festival

Indian cinema triumphs at the 23rd Transylvania International Film Festival, which took place from June 14 to 24 in the Romanian city of Cluj-Napoca.

Director Shuchi Talati, who is making her first film, won the Transylvania Trophy, first prize in the international competition, as well as the grant of $11,7000 (10,000 euros) for her feature film. Girls will be girls, a mother-daughter drama that premiered at Sundance earlier this year. The drama follows an academically gifted young teenager at a strict boarding school in the Himalayas who finds herself caught in an emotional love triangle with her mother, as they both compete for the affections of the same boy.

“The story of this film is very rooted in India, but I always hoped that people outside of this very specific space and time where the story takes place would resonate with it,” Talati said in a video presented during the gala ceremony at the Cluj- Historical National Theater in Napoca on Saturday evening. “I feel like this price says it.”

The Special Jury Prize, worth $1,600 (1,500 euros), was awarded to Vinothraj Palani The unyielding girl, a feminist social drama focusing on gender expectations in rural India. The Tamil filmmaker won the same award at the 2021 Transylvania International Film Festival for his debut film Pebbles. The unyielding girl created in Berlin.

The best director prize, with a cash prize of $3,750 (3,500 euros), went to Colombian filmmaker Sebastián Quebrada for his emotional drama The other son about the process of grieving the death of a teenager by family and close friends.

Iranian actor Hassan Pourshirazi won the award for best performance for his role in The old bachelor while Dutch-Belgian production Summer Brother won three prizes: a special mention for the young actors Jarne Heylen and Joël in ‘t Veld, the audience prize voted by the festival audience and the ecumenical jury prize.

Alice on/off, a Romanian documentary shot over 10 years by director Isabela Von Tent won three prizes: the Romanian Days prize for best first film, a special mention from the jury of the side section of the documentary competition “What’s up, Doc? and the FIPRESCI prize for international film criticism.

Below is the full list of winners from the 2024 Transylvania Film Festival.

Transylvania Trophy
Girls will be girlsShuchi Talati

Best Director Award
Sébastien Quebrada, The other son

Special Jury Prize
The unyielding girlVinothraj Palani

Best Performance Award
Hassan Pourshirazi, The old bachelor

Special Mention from the Jury
Jarne Heylen and Joël in ‘t Veld, Summer Brother

Audience Award
Summer BrotherJören Molter

Romanian Feature Film Days Prize
RejectedHoria Cucuta, George and Ganæaard

Special mention from the jury for the Romanian Days feature film
Family weekendMihnea Toma

Romanian Days Prizes for Debuts
Alice on and off,…