University of Canterbury Vincent Ward prize

Shanghai Film Festival offers University of Canterbury Vincent Ward prize

June 25, 2014

Film-makers from Iran and Bangladesh are the inaugural recipients of the University of Canterbury’s Vincent Ward Prize for Innovative Film.

The winners of the awards are Iranian film director and producer Reza Dormishian for his film I am not Angry and Bangladeshi film maker Indranil Roychowdhury for his film Dragon Fly. Dormishian won best film overall and best director for the Asian new talent prize at the 17th annual Shanghai International Film Festival.

The pair will spend time at the University of Canterbury Film School in 2015 and meet key people in the New Zealand film industry.

The awards were presented at the Shanghai Festival which is one of the premiere film events in Asia. This year’s star-studded ceremony saw many Hollywood celebrities in attendance including Nicole Kidman and Natalie Portman.

Vincent Ward, UC’s adjunct professor of fine arts, sat on the new talent jury panel, led by Korea’s celebrated director Jekyu Kang. Renowned Chinese actress Gong Li was president of the international jury for the festival’s Golden Goblet Award.

Ward not only helped select the winners of the New Asian Cinema Award, he presented the makers of the two best films the UC-sponsored Vincent Ward Prize for Innovative Film at the awards ceremony.

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