Rima Das' Village Rockstars 2 wins Kim Jiseok award at Busan International Film Festival

Filmmaker Rima Das' latest film Village Rockstars 2 has won the prestigious Kim Jiseok Award at the 2024 Busan International Film Festival. A sequel to her critically acclaimed 2017 film Village Rockstars, the new film was the only Indian feature selected in the Jiseok Competition section at the festival’s 29th edition.

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Village Rockstars 2 follows in the footsteps of its predecessor, which garnered international recognition and won a National Award in India. The original film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017 and was India’s official entry for the 2019 Academy Awards.

The Kim Jiseok Award, established in 2017, honors the legacy of Kim Jiseok, a key figure in Asian cinema who dedicated his career to nurturing its growth. The award recognizes two films that best represent the current state of Asian cinema.

The jury, comprising Christian Jeune, Prasanna Vithanage, and Shin Suwon, praised Das' work for its “poetic expression of everyday life” and its portrayal of the relationship between nature and humanity through the perspective of a young girl.

Das expressed her gratitude, calling the recognition a privilege, especially as it honors someone who contributed immensely to Asian cinema. Earlier this year, Das was also invited to join the director's branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.