Shillong, Aug 17: It is yet another feather in the cap for Dominic Sangma as he bagged the Best Director Critic Choice Award for his movie Rapture (Rimdogittanga) at the Indian Film Festival Melbourne, Australia which is being held from August 15 to 25.
Up against big names such as Kiran Rao for Laapataa Ladies, Hemant Rao and Diwa Shah for Bahadur, the Garo filmmaker won the prestigious award as Rapture wowed the audiences on a mesmerizing journey into the heart of Garo Hills, where it explores the intricate interplay between gullibility and tolerance within a rural village.
The movie is currently being screened in Tura at the Tura District Auditorium till August 25.
Rapture, presented in the Garo language, weaves a compelling narrative around a 10-year-old boy grappling with night blindness. In his world, every night becomes a haunting ordeal as the village succumbs to the fear of child-kidnappers. It delves into the deep cultural and spiritual realms of the Garo community.
It made its debut in March this year across 100 theatres in France.
This is not the filmmaker’s first stint at winning a national award. In fact, Dominic has also won many international awards in the past as well.
Dominic’s feature film MA.AMA became the first Garo film to win a national award. The film won the Best Cinematography Award at the 22nd Shanghai International Film Festival 2019. It also won Best Film at the 14th International Film Festival of Thrissur.
Sangma’s second feature film Rapture has become a huge success on the film festival circuit. It was world premiered in the Locarno Film Festival, won the Best Cultural Diversity award in the Asian Pacific Screen Awards in Brisbane, Australia, won NETPAC Award in MAMI, Mumbai, won Honourable Mention Award at Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. He also won the Best Cinematography award for Rapture at the prestigious 7th Malaysia International Film Festival (MIFF) 2024.
He was on Juries for the Indian Panorama, IFFI, and Guwahati International Short Film and Documentary Film Festival; he was also on a Preview Committee for the International Film Festival of India. He was also selected for Berlinale Talents 2020.
