Avantika Hari on award winning spree with directorial debut

Filmmaker Avantika Hari is on an award winning spree with her directorial debut 'Land Gold Women'. She bagged a National Award this year and will be flying off next month to collect another honour at the Canada International Film Festival.

The movie has been selected for the Royal Reel Award for Excellence in Film Making at the Canada film festival, Vancouver, to be held March 19-21.

Dealing with the issue of honour killings, 'Land Gold Women' won the National Award for Best Feature Film in English and followed it up with two gongs at the Asian Film Festival of First Films, Singapore. It won the FCA Purple Orchid Award for Best Film and the Best Screenplay Award at the fest.

Shot on location in Birmingham, the 98-minute film in English narrates the story of a British Asian family caught between Eastern tradition and Western culture. The highlight of the film is the father-daughter relationship and how the equation changes when the daughter takes hold of her life.

The film has also had premieres in the Indian Panorama Section at the International Film Festival of India, Goa. It has now been officially selected for a screening at the Peace on Earth Film Festival, Chicago and the Women's International Films and Art Festival, Miami in March 2010.

Born in India and raised in Dubai, Avantika, 29, did her masters from the London Film School and while studying she read an article that inspired her to make 'Land Gold Women'. She is now based in Mumbai.

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