India's 'All We Imagine...' bags Best International Feature at Gotham
What's the story
Indian filmmaker Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine as Light has once again made India proud on the international stage by winning Best International Feature at the 2024 Gotham Awards.
The ceremony, which took place in New York City on Monday night, honors excellence in independent cinema.
Despite its win, the film won't compete for Best Foreign Film at the Oscars, as India selected Kiran Rao's Laapataa Ladies as its official entry.
Context
Why does this story matter?
It's worth noting that Gotham Awards have been a precursor to the Oscars, with previous winners such as The Hurt Locker, Moonlight, and Everything Everywhere All at Once later winning the Academy's top honor.
While the International Feature category at the Gotham Awards doesn't directly translate to Oscar success, it could elevate the global profile of All We Imagine as Light in the upcoming awards season.
Award acceptance
Kapadia expressed gratitude for Gotham recognition
While accepting the award, Kapadia said, "It's our first fiction narrative feature film, so it is super nice to get this."
Notably, the film has already received international acclaim, having premiered at the 77th Cannes Film Festival where it became the first Indian film to compete in the main competition since 1994.
It also bagged the Grand Prix prize at the prestigious event.
Twitter Post
Take a look at Kapadia's acceptance speech
Payal Kapadia at the 34th #GothamAwards as her
— Deadline (@DEADLINE) December 3, 2024first narrative feature, Cannes Grand Prix-winner ‘All We Imagine As Light’, gets best international feature(Video: Jill Goldsmith) pic.twitter.com/akxXb3ZYk4
Award significance
'All We Imagine...': Know more about the movie
All We Imagine as Light is a heartbreaking story of three women, played by Kani Kusruti, Divya Prabha, and Chhaya Kadam. It follows their lives as hospital workers in Mumbai and touches upon loneliness and companionship.
The Gotham Awards this year saw tough competition, with All We Imagine as Light among the films nominated in two categories, alongside notable titles like His Three Daughters and The Brutalist.