Pakistan Oscar Contender ‘In Flames’ Wins Mannheim-Heidelberg Prize – Global Bulletin
variety.comNaman Ramachandran Zarrar Kahn‘s “In Flames,” Pakistan‘s submission to the Oscars‘ international feature category, has won the International Newcomer Award for the best film in competition at the 72nd International Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg, Germany.
The award carries a cash prize of €30,000 ($32,850). “In Flames,” a Pakistani Canadian horror-drama about a Karachi woman and her mother who are beset by malevolent figures from their past after the family patriarch dies, premiered at the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight and has had considerable festival play since, including at Toronto, Busan, Sitges, Sao Paulo and Pingyao.
The award’s jury members, Elisa Schlott, Denis Dercourt and Goran Stolevski, stated: “Our award goes to a filmmaker who manages to shift and play with genre while maintaining a connection both to his audience as well as his protagonist throughout the film.
The main character is a young woman who is allowed to be both brave and fragile, and she is brought to life through a wonderful debut performance that complements the mise-en-scene.” The film will be playing in competition at the upcoming Red Sea Film Festival.
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