Critically acclaimed short film Half Full, featuring veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah and Vikrant Massey along with the short film Counterfeit Kunkoo, written and directed by Reema Sengupta, were declared winners at ShortsTV’s Best of India Short Film Festival 2019, held in Los Angeles. A special screening of the films was conducted in Mumbai to announce the winners. Present on the occasion were Naseeruddin Shah, winning directors Karan Rawal (Half Full) and Reema Sengupta (Counterfeit Kunkoo), along with Chief Executive of ShortsTV, Carter Pilcher.
Half Full is a 12-minute short film that focusses on the trials and tribulations of a young man (Vikrant Massey) who is undergoing an internal conflict. One night, he encounters an old man (Naseeruddin Shah) and a strange vibe develops between the two leading to some sarcastic and vague questions.
The other winner, Counterfeit Kunkoo is a 15-minute short film which is based on the life of a middle-class Indian woman named Smita who lives without her husband. The film offers an intimate perspective on the identity of the 'Ideal Indian Female' in the urban India of today.
Expressing his happiness on winning the award, Half Full actor Naseeruddin Shah said, “It’s a proud moment for the entire cast and crew of Half Full. I am happy to note that discerning Indian audiences are moving towards short format content and ShortsTV has taken this initiative to provide an ideal platform to Indian filmmakers and actors. I am also glad that we finally have a destination where one can watch the best of curated short format content from across the world.”
Meanwhile the other short films amongst the finalists selected to screen in Los Angeles and become qualified for Oscar consideration were Unfamiliar by Rahat Jain and Maya by Vikas Chandra.
