Yogyakarta: Two Indian films, Mikka Bannada Hakki(Bird of a Different Feather-Kannada) directed by Manohara K and Kottukkaali (The Adamant Girl-Tamil) directed by Vinothraj PS won Spotlight Award and Nativa Award, respectively at the Alternativa Film Project. The list of winners were announced at a ceremony held at the Gelanggang Inovasi dan Kreativitas UGM in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, and hosted by actor and United Nations SDG Mover for Gender Equality Hannah Al Rashid. While Spotlight Award is conferred on films which highlight often overlooked social issues, Native Awards recognises works that delve into national or cultural identity, showcasing stories that put regions and communities on the global map.
The Alternativa Film Project is a global and nomadic non-profit film initiative founded by inDrive and dedicated to supporting emerging filmmakers from less developed screen industries, Additionally, the Alternativa Film Project has unveiled Latin America will be its new focus region starting from 2025, with the third Alternativa Film Ceremony and Awards then being held in 2026.
The Alternativa Film Awards recognise films with artistic excellence that also address important social and cultural topics, and which have an ambition to positively affect the lives of people and local communities and to challenge injustice in line with the mission of inDrive. This year is the second edition of the awards, which last year took place in Kazakhstan, but the first year they are happening as the final moment in a festival screening event hosted by the organisation. The Alternativa Film Festival featured public screenings and discussions for the shortlisted films. In parallel, a three-day Industry Days programme ran aimed at fostering connections between filmmakers, producers, and social impact leaders from South East Asia, Central Asia and the global stage.
Rather than the traditional prizes, the Alternativa Film Awards bestow awards for talents and titles exemplifying cultural, societal and industry impact. Together, these awards amplify voices and stories that matter, driving meaningful conversations through cinema.
From the 25 films selected, including 13 feature-length films and 12 shorts, from 14 Asian countries and across 20 different languages, winners were chosen by an independent, international jury of socially responsible filmmakers and experts in social impact. The jurors were: Anand Gandhi (India), Steffi Niederzoll (Germany), Carol Misorelli (Brazil), Asmara Abigail (Indonesia), Katerina Suvorova (Kazakhstan), Kamila Andini (Indonesia), and Amir Masoud Soheili (Iran). The total prize fund was $100,000, with $20,000 each awarded in the four full-length categories, and $10,000 each for the two winners in the Shorts Award category.
