SINGAPORE – Court, a film that centred around the justice system in India won Best Film at the Silver Screen Awards tonight (Dec 13), while its director, Indian writer-director Chaitanya Tamhane, took home the Best Director award for his first feature film.

“This glittering gem dazzles with its simplicity, elegance and breathtaking naturalism. Every facet of this film shines, from the humanity of its screenplay, to the originality of its structure, to the assuredness of its direction. A brilliant achievement,” reads the jury citation.

Kirsten Tan’s Dahdi (Granny) won the Best Southeast Asian Short Film award, with the jury citation reading: “Realistic performance and mature direction from the director. Sensitive and poignant, creating a cinematic experience.”

Meanwhile, the jury citation for Vanishing Horizon of the Sea, which received a Special Mention in the Southeast Asian Short Film category, read: “Conceptually beautiful with the use of different mediums to explore the concept of memory. VHS snow has never looked so romantic or beautiful. Vivid visuals induce the imagination of the audience. Haunting reminder of the past.”

Renowned Chinese auteur Wang Xiaoshuai headed the jury for the Asian Feature Film competition, while local director Royston Tan headed the jury for the Southeast Asian Short Film competition.

Yuni Hadi, Executive Director of the Singapore International Film Festival (SGIFF), which organises the Silver Screen Awards, said: “The Southeast Asian Short Film competition is a new addition to the Silver Screen Awards for the festival. We are very happy to see such a great response from the filmmakers and especially the younger generation of filmmaking talent who look to the festival as a platform to help them shine early on in their careers.”

There was also a Youth Jury Award presented for May Dinadala by Giancarlo Abrahan, who won a trophy and cash prize of S$500. The Most Promising Project for the Southeast Film Lab went to Bradley Liew from Malaysia for Awit Ng Puntod. Liew walked away with S$5,000.

SGIFF also presented an Honorary Award to father of modern Korean Cinema Im Kwon-taek, one of South Korea’s most respected and prolific directors. The festival also conferred a tribute to the late Sir Run Run Shaw, who founded Shaw Brothers Studio and TVB.

The Silver Screen Awards saw a total of 11 feature films and 19 short films, including five Singapore short films, vying for a win. The glittering affair was graced by filmmaking heavyweights Natassja Kinski, Chen Bolin,Cheng Pei Pei and Marine Vacth, the face of Chaumet (Official Watch and Jewellery), who walked the red carpet before the awards ceremony.

SGIFF, the largest and longest-running film event in Singapore since 1987 ends tomorrow and focuses on groundbreaking Asian cinema and discovering new film talents from South-east Asia. It is known for its dynamic film programming and commitment to the development of a vibrant local film

Here are the results:

Asian Feature Film Category

• Best Film: Court

Trophy and Cash Prize of S$10,000;

Panasonic HC-X1000 Camera (US$3,499);

Offline Edit Package (up to 2 weeks) at Houdini Studio, Thailand (US$10,000); and

Online & DCP Package at Mocha Chai Laboratories (S$20,000)

• Best Director: Chaitanya Tamhane

Trophy and Cash Prize of S$5,000

• Best Performance: Sekar Sari (Siti)

Trophy and Cash Prize of S$2,000

• Special Mention: Alive

Trophy and Cash Prize of S$1,500

The jury citation for Alive read: “Passion and conviction are very much alive in actor-director

Park Jung-bum’s ode to human stoicism. Despite a run time of almost three hours, this film

carries us along with its craft and dedication.”

Southeast Asian Short Film Category

• Best Southeast Asian Short Film: Dahdi (Granny) by Kirsten Tan

Trophy and Cash Prize of S$5,000;

Panasonic DMC-GH4A Camera (US$2,800); and

Offline Edit Package (up to 3 days) at Houdini Studio, Thailand (US$2,500)

• Best Singapore Short Film: Not Working Today by Shijie Tan

Trophy and Cash Prize of S$4,000 cash;

Panasonic DMC-GH4A Camera (US$2,800);

Soundstage Usage (1 day) and Offline Edit (3 days) Package at Infinite Studios

(S$10,000);

Production Services Package at Shooting Gallery Asia (S$10,000); and

Online & DCP Package at Mochai Chai Laboratories (S$4,500)

• Best Director: Aditya Ahmad (On Stopping the Rain)

Trophy and Cash Prize of S$2,000

• Special Mention: Vanishing Horizon of the Sea by Chulayarnnon Siriphol

Trophy and Cash Prize of S$1,000 cash