'Highway Nights' wins at Best Of India Short Film Festival
What's the story
The short film, Highway Nights, starring filmmaker-actor Prakash Jha has won the grand jury prize at the 2021 Best of India Short Film Festival.
Produced by Akhilesh Choudhary in collaboration with Shubham Singh, this short film is about women's abuse.
The story revolves around an aging, overworked lorry driver who develops a bond with a young, talkative sex worker over a small journey.
Quote
'It's a film with an important message', says Jha
Talking about his award-winning short film Highway Nights, Jha said, "I am elated to hear the news and I congratulate the whole team."
"It's a film with an important message and I hope the film reaches a wider audience with the theatrical, digital, and television broadcast all over the world," the filmmaker said in a statement.
Cast
'Highway Nights' stars Mazel Vyas as a sex worker
The Hindi language short film also stars Mazel Vyas, who plays the female character of a young and chatty sex worker.
Other members of the crew are DOP Surjodeep Ghosh, editor Santosh Mandal, music composer Advait Nemlekar, and Shivani Mehra who wrote the script of the film.
Moreover, this film has been directed by Singh, who revealed that it is his first short film.
Twitter Post
Taran Adarsh confirms 'Highway Nights' winning award at film festival
SHORT FILM WINS AWARD... #HighwayNights - starring #PrakashJha and #MazelVyas and directed by #ShubhamSingh - awarded grand jury prize at Best of India Short Film Festival 2021... It will have theatrical release in #LA and will qualify for 2023 #Oscars consideration. @WithShubh pic.twitter.com/l5gy0RulXY
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) October 16, 2021
Information
Will qualify as India's official entry to Oscars 2023
Jha's new short film will also qualify for the prestigious 2023 Academy Awards. Highway Nights will be released in theaters in Hollywood, Los Angeles in the US.
Apart from this, it has also gained eligibility for a television broadcast agreement on ShortsTV.
The National Award-winning filmmaker, known for his works in films like Gangaajal, Saand Ki Aankh, and Raajneeti, expressed joy over this achievement.
Message
'It's my first short film,' says Singh
Singh also expressed his views on Highway Nights. He is confident that the film will strike a chord with viewers worldwide.
"It is my first short film and to receive such acclaim is heartening. I am thankful to Prakash ji to have agreed to act in our film. It's a moving story that people all over the world can relate to," the director-producer added.