From:  "Naeem Mohaiemmen"
Date:  Wed May 29, 2002 12:35 pm
Subject: Banned film wins CANNES International Critics Prize
 

 

Banned film wins CANNES International Critics Prize

 

Friends,

MATIR MOINA has become the first Bangladeshi film to win International Critics Prize at Cannes!

The film is still banned by Bangladesh govt. To sign the petition calling for repeal of ban, go to this URL:

http://www.petitiononline.com/moina

Naeem
 

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From: Tareq and Catherine Masud

PRESS RELEASE

We are extremely delighted and proud to inform you that �Matir Moina�, directed by Tareque Masud and produced by Catherine Masud, has been awarded the International Critics' Prize at Cannes 2002. The Prize is given every year for the best film from each of the three main sections of the festival by FIPRESCI, an international association of film critics and journalists. The 11-member jury was comprised of members from 11 countries around the world, including Britain, Canada, Russia, Sweden, Australia, and Egypt among others. The other two awarded films are �Divine Intervention� by Elia Sulaiman of Palestine and �Heremakono� by Abdur Rahman Sissako of Mauritania. This is the first time that all three prizes have been awarded to the films of three predominantly Muslim countries.

According to the citation mentioned on the award, �Matir Moina� was awarded for �the authenticity and moving sensitivity with which it portrayed a country�s struggle for its democratic rights.� The award was handed over to Tareque Masud by Jury Chairman Ronald Bergan of Britain during the formal ceremony held on Saturday evening, May 25th. The film was selected from over 40 films included in the Directors� Fortnight and International Critics� Week sections of the festival.

It may be mentioned here that the film was earlier disqualified from the Camera d�Or competition for first feature on the grounds that the director had previously made a documentary longer than 60 minutes in duration. This newly introduced rule considers long documentaries as feature films.

Published at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mukto-mona/message/6174