Indian short film "The School Bag", which tells a story based in Pakistan, has won the Best Short Film Award at the South Asian Film Festival of Montreal (SAFFM), says director Dheeraj Jindal.
"While making the film, each member of the team literally put their heart and soul and we didn't know what will happen with the film. For many people, I included, it was the first experience working on a short film. So it's a great feeling when your debut work gets international recognition," Jindal told IANS.
SAFFM concluded on Sunday.
The movie's plot is based in Peshawar and tells a story about the relationship between a mother and her seven-year-old son who wants a new school bag on his birthday, but fate has something else in store for him.
The film recreates events that happened in Peshawar in December 2014 when terrorists mowed down hundreds of school children.
Actress Rasika Dugal plays the mother in the short film.
Jindal, who is from Delhi, is happy that short films are getting visibility.
"In India, now there are platforms that are supporting and funding short films and because of that the quality of the films have drastically improved. The acclaimed actors have also started working in them as there are many good stories which don't need to be long but can be as impacting as a feature film.
"Therefore, short films are becoming a serious business, which is going to grow further," he said.
