Local filmmaker nabs top award
Local filmmaker Rajneel Singh has had a whirlwind year of success that has culminated in taking out the grand prize at the 2011 Western Union Indian Film Festival.
Singh, 32, a New Zealander of Fijian-Indian descent, entered his movie “Blank Spaces” and won the best short film category; earning himself an invitation to the festival’s Gala Night in Melbourne on March 12, as well as a trip to Mumbai, India.
This win marks the latest in a series of success; beginning almost a year ago when Singh was one of five finalists selected out of 1100 entries to make a short film for the Your Big Break Competition run by Tourism New Zealand and guided by Sir Peter Jackson and executive producer Barrie Osborne (Lord of the Rings and The Matrix).
The resulting film, shot in Queenstown and finished at Peter Jackson’s Park Road Post facilities in Wellington, was “Blank Spaces”.
On You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTzg8rs6KTk&hd=1
Sir Peter Jackson later commented that the film was: "A beautifully told short film with an understated and delightfully wry sense of humour. It was a very assured piece of storytelling. I enjoyed watching it immensely."
Labasa-born Singh then received an invitation to screen his 2006-produced short film “Big Bad Wolves” at the 33rd Clermont Ferrand International Film Festival. – the world’s premiere and most highly attended festival for short films.
Singh travelled to France’s Auvergne district where his film featured in multiple sell-out screenings and rubbed shoulders with 49 other New Zealand shorts that were, coincidentally, screening as part of a celebration of Kiwi films. In the same month, Singh was invited to screen “Blank Spaces” at a special event held at the Australian Embassy in Paris.
In winning the Best Short Film prize at the Western Union Indian Film Festival, Singh admits some surprise at the string of events that has led him here: “It’s fantastic to be honored with such a prestigious award by such an incredible panel of judges. The speed at which things have been happening has really taken me aback.
“It’s a snowball effect that seems to get faster and faster. I had only just arrived back from France where I was promoting “Big Bad Wolves” when I got the email informing me that “Blank Spaces” had won this amazing award.”
When asked how he felt as an Indian filmmaker to be highlighted in an Indian film festival, he responded: “I’m over the moon that my New Zealand film has such an international appeal. It gives me an immense sense of inspiration to push myself farther with my filmmaking. I want to thank the organizers of the Indian Film Festival for this tremendous opportunity.”
Rajneel Singh (son of Dewan & Manju Singh, formerly of Labasa) is a 32-year-old filmmaker based in Auckland, New Zealand and a director of music videos, short films and television commercials.
Born in Labasa, Fiji Islands and moved to California as a teenager before settling down in New Zealand, he first appeared into the media spotlight in 2003 when he produced a $700 tribute film set in the “Matrix” universe called THE FANIMATRIX. The 15-minute short film became an Internet phenomenon, accumulating over 8 million downloads and quickly becoming New Zealand’s most widely seen short film in history.
Singh cites the perspective he has gained from growing up across different countries and cultures as a big influence on his film making style. He has never received any assistance from any art funding body or the NZ Film Commission and, instead, raises his own resources to create his work.
He is currently working on his first feature-film project.
INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL & WESTERN UNION SHORT FILM COMPETITION
THE INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL is a celebration showcasing the best of Indian Cinema while providing a unique platform for young upcoming filmmakers via its SHORT FILM COMPETITION sponsored by WESTERN UNION. It’s run by Australian company MBF - operated by Mitu Bhowmick Lange, daughter-in-law of late NZ Prime Minister David Lange - and is one of the largest distributors of Indian films in Australasia.
The festival runs in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Auckland all through March and has hosted some of Bollywood’s most famous stars and powerhouse filmmakers including the ‘Queen of Bollywood’ RANI MUKHERJEE, director IMTAZ ALI and Bollywood actor SOHAIL KHAN. This year’s guests will include pop star ALI ZAFAR, actor ARBAAZ KHAN, dancer JUHI CHAWLAA and acclaimed actress VIDYA BALAN.
The judges for this year’s Short Film Competition which selected “BLANK SPACES” include acclaimed director KABIR KHAN (“Kabul Express”), producers ROBYN KERSHAW & MICK MOLLOY (“Kath & Kim”), Bollywood mega-hit director RAJKUMAR HIRANI (“3 Idiots” and the acclaimed “Munna Bhai” series) and director SHIMIT AMIN.
Local filmmaker Rajneel Singh has had a whirlwind year of success that has culminated in taking out the grand prize at the 2011 Western Union Indian Film Festival. Singh, 32, a New Zealander of Fijian-Indian descent, entered his movie “Blank Spaces” and won the best short film category; earning...
Local filmmaker Rajneel Singh has had a whirlwind year of success that has culminated in taking out the grand prize at the 2011 Western Union Indian Film Festival.
Singh, 32, a New Zealander of Fijian-Indian descent, entered his movie “Blank Spaces” and won the best short film category; earning himself an invitation to the festival’s Gala Night in Melbourne on March 12, as well as a trip to Mumbai, India.
This win marks the latest in a series of success; beginning almost a year ago when Singh was one of five finalists selected out of 1100 entries to make a short film for the Your Big Break Competition run by Tourism New Zealand and guided by Sir Peter Jackson and executive producer Barrie Osborne (Lord of the Rings and The Matrix).
The resulting film, shot in Queenstown and finished at Peter Jackson’s Park Road Post facilities in Wellington, was “Blank Spaces”.
On You Tube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTzg8rs6KTk&hd=1
Sir Peter Jackson later commented that the film was: "A beautifully told short film with an understated and delightfully wry sense of humour. It was a very assured piece of storytelling. I enjoyed watching it immensely."
Labasa-born Singh then received an invitation to screen his 2006-produced short film “Big Bad Wolves” at the 33rd Clermont Ferrand International Film Festival. – the world’s premiere and most highly attended festival for short films.
Singh travelled to France’s Auvergne district where his film featured in multiple sell-out screenings and rubbed shoulders with 49 other New Zealand shorts that were, coincidentally, screening as part of a celebration of Kiwi films. In the same month, Singh was invited to screen “Blank Spaces” at a special event held at the Australian Embassy in Paris.
In winning the Best Short Film prize at the Western Union Indian Film Festival, Singh admits some surprise at the string of events that has led him here: “It’s fantastic to be honored with such a prestigious award by such an incredible panel of judges. The speed at which things have been happening has really taken me aback.
“It’s a snowball effect that seems to get faster and faster. I had only just arrived back from France where I was promoting “Big Bad Wolves” when I got the email informing me that “Blank Spaces” had won this amazing award.”
When asked how he felt as an Indian filmmaker to be highlighted in an Indian film festival, he responded: “I’m over the moon that my New Zealand film has such an international appeal. It gives me an immense sense of inspiration to push myself farther with my filmmaking. I want to thank the organizers of the Indian Film Festival for this tremendous opportunity.”
Rajneel Singh (son of Dewan & Manju Singh, formerly of Labasa) is a 32-year-old filmmaker based in Auckland, New Zealand and a director of music videos, short films and television commercials.
Born in Labasa, Fiji Islands and moved to California as a teenager before settling down in New Zealand, he first appeared into the media spotlight in 2003 when he produced a $700 tribute film set in the “Matrix” universe called THE FANIMATRIX. The 15-minute short film became an Internet phenomenon, accumulating over 8 million downloads and quickly becoming New Zealand’s most widely seen short film in history.
Singh cites the perspective he has gained from growing up across different countries and cultures as a big influence on his film making style. He has never received any assistance from any art funding body or the NZ Film Commission and, instead, raises his own resources to create his work.
He is currently working on his first feature-film project.
INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL & WESTERN UNION SHORT FILM COMPETITION
THE INDIAN FILM FESTIVAL is a celebration showcasing the best of Indian Cinema while providing a unique platform for young upcoming filmmakers via its SHORT FILM COMPETITION sponsored by WESTERN UNION. It’s run by Australian company MBF - operated by Mitu Bhowmick Lange, daughter-in-law of late NZ Prime Minister David Lange - and is one of the largest distributors of Indian films in Australasia.
The festival runs in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Auckland all through March and has hosted some of Bollywood’s most famous stars and powerhouse filmmakers including the ‘Queen of Bollywood’ RANI MUKHERJEE, director IMTAZ ALI and Bollywood actor SOHAIL KHAN. This year’s guests will include pop star ALI ZAFAR, actor ARBAAZ KHAN, dancer JUHI CHAWLAA and acclaimed actress VIDYA BALAN.
The judges for this year’s Short Film Competition which selected “BLANK SPACES” include acclaimed director KABIR KHAN (“Kabul Express”), producers ROBYN KERSHAW & MICK MOLLOY (“Kath & Kim”), Bollywood mega-hit director RAJKUMAR HIRANI (“3 Idiots” and the acclaimed “Munna Bhai” series) and director SHIMIT AMIN.
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