New awards to be presented at Sundance London

by Naman Ramachandran

23/04/2012 - Sundance Institute and WorldView will jointly present awards to four films that focus on social justice issues in the developing world. Katie Mark’s Street Girls, an intimate insight into the lives of three girls working as prostitutes in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, gets a Story Development Award and a £10,000 grant.

Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje’s Farming, a true story about a Nigerian boy’s search for love and belonging within a skinhead subculture; Sally El Hosaini’s My Brother The Devil [trailer] (photo), about a pair of British Arab brothers trying to get by in inner city London; and Musa Syeed’s Valley of Saints, set amidst the unrest in Kashmir, get an Impact Award and a £5000 grant each.

Keri Putnam, Executive Director of Sundance Institute, said: “Independent film has a legacy of focusing on social justice issues in regions we don’t often hear about, and we applaud filmmakers for taking on these issues. We hope the awards announced today help raise awareness around the issues they explore as well as the importance of film as a vehicle for helping bring to life the stories of our world.”

The awards will be presented during the first-ever Sundance London film and music festival (April 26-29).

WorldView is a Commonwealth Broadcasting Association Project that aims to improve UK public understanding and awareness of the developing world via the mainstream broadcast and digital media.

Himesh Kar, Consultant of WorldView, said, “Each filmmaker has made bold and brave choices in their storytelling but very much keeping audience connection in mind. These films bring a unique eye on issues and cultures that are often misrepresented or ignored by mainstream media.”