CANNES: Well, Gitanjali Rao did it, where scores of other well known Indian film makers could not. She has brought some glory to the country by winning three different awards at the Cannes film festival under the Semaine International Critics (SIC) Week for her short animation film Printed Rainbow. She pocketed the Kodak Discovery Award for the best short film, pocketing 3,000 Euros in terms of film from Kodak. The jury for this award included: director Christophe Reuggia, producer Isabelle Grellat, film critic Serge Kaganski, actress Salome Stevenin, writer Eliette Abecassis, and cinematographer Christophe Offenstein.

She also bagged the Young German and French student critics award for best short film, sharing it with Iron by Hiroyuki of Japan.. Finally, she was also awarded the Petit Rail D’Or award given by cinephile Railwaymen in France.
Rao had scrounged and saved to be able to attend the Cannes Film Festival along with her mother and partner. She had pumped in her own money to make her film. The fact that the jury recognised her effort means a lot.

“I am thrilled to bits…But since I am proceeding to the Annecy animation festival, I will not be able to reallly celebrate,” she said.

The Canal Plus Award for Best Short Film went to Kristall by Christoph Girardet and Mathias Muller of Germany. Canal Plus will be buying the rights to the short film and will also invite the directors to the Moulin D’Ande for a month.
The Prix Grand Cru for best short film screenplay went to Brazilian Film maker Esmir Filhor for his movie Alguma Coisa Assim. This includes 2,000 euros in cash and an invitation to a writing workshop.

The Grand Prize went to Emmanuel Bourdieu of France for the film Les Amities Malefiques. This includes a 5,000 euro cash prize for the director, a three month stay at the Moulin D’Ande for a writing course, 3,000 euro grant from the Beaumarchais Association and an ad in rendezvous magazine.

The SACD prize for best scriptwriter went to PinPong by Matthias Luthardt of Germany, and Les Amites Maelfiques. The ACID prize went to Norwegain film maker Jens Lien for his film Den Brysomme Mannen. Mathias bagged the Young Critics Award while Emmanuel also pocketed Grand Rail D’Or award