The Indian short film CatDog directed by Ashmita Guha wins the Orona – Nest Award at the 2020 San Sebastian International Film Festival. The award which comes with 10,000 euros is given to a film “for its bold but intimate storytelling capable of suggesting the depth of fictional and also real power games”. The Speech directed by Haohao Yan received a Special Mention.
The XIX edition of Nest, San Sebastian Festival’s international competition for short films by film students, showcased thirteen short films from schools in Argentina, Cuba, Germany, India, Spain, the UK and the USA.
ORONA – NEST AWARD
CatDog
Short film
Ashmita Guha (India)
Film & Television Institute of India (FTII) (India)
A pair of young siblings inhabit a fanciful world of their making, hidden from the eyes of their mother. When she finally catches a glimpse of their world, it faces the threat of crumbling. The two of them can either surrender or resist.
SPECIAL MENTION
To a film that satirically portrays human unwillingness to obey order and structure.
The Speech
Short film
Haohao Yan (USA)
American Film Institute (USA)
May 2003, Beijing, China: Under pressure from the WHO, the Chinese government announces that the SARS outbreak is real. The city is closed. Most students have been sent home. During a lockdown inside a private boarding school, three eight-year-old girls have to find a way to make sense of the world.