ITANAGAR, 13 Sep: Manisha Halai from Arunachal Pradesh won the prestigious Australian International Documentary Conference Award and the Audience Award in Bali, Indonesia, for her debut feature documentary Orange Beetle: Mother & I.
She travelled abroad for the first time to participate in the ‘Docs by the Sea Storytelling Lab and Pitching Forum’ held at Bali from 4 to 10 September.
Halai, currently working as a training assistant with the docu-film training organization Green Hub in Assam’s Tezpur, is also the first Green Hub fellow to present a film at a global stage.
A deeply personal film about her mother, Orange Beetle: Mother & I won the awards out of 292 entries from filmmakers across Asia. It is Halai’s debut feature documentary and is in the Kaman Mishmi language. The film, currently in its early development stage, is being produced by academy-nominated filmmakers Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh. It was incubated at the Himalayan Story Lab, the first lab in India for filmmakers from the Himalayan regions of the country.
The ‘Docs by the Sea Storytelling Lab’ is Asia’s leading documentary pitching platform, supporting emerging and established filmmakers through mentorship, co-production opportunities, and industry exposure. It brings together independent documentary filmmakers from across Asia to pitch their projects to international producers, mentors, and industry professionals.
Director of Green Hub, Rita Banerjee, said: “Manisha is one of the first Green Hub fellows to pitch her work on a global stage.”
Halai, a passionate storyteller from remote Kathan village in Wakro circle, is one of the seniormost volunteer-activists of the Lohit Youth Library Network, and is currently the president of the Forum of Library Activists, Medo.
Speaking from Bali to the youth library volunteers, Manisha said: “Coming from one of the most remote villages, being able to pitch at such a prestigious forum was a proud and unforgettable moment for me.” She said that she was extremely nervous but thrilled to pitch her story to an audience for the first time.
To her delight, everyone loved the film, applauded her presentation, and left impressed by her pitch, she said.
One of the first-batch students at KGBV Wakro, Halai’s love for books began with her involvement at APNE Library in Wakro and later at Bamboosa Library, Tezu.
“My participation in the two international AWIC Library conferences at Delhi helped me a lot to improve my storytelling skills,” she said.
She also remembered eminent docu-filmmaker PN Ramchandra from Mumbai, with whom she first saw a movie-camera, when he had visited Bamboosa and APNE Libraries. She and other young readers were featured in his film, Joy of Learning.
“That experience – seeing the camera, sound equipment, and behind-the-scenes process – left a lasting impression, even though I had no idea then that I would one day make films myself,” Halai stated.
She thanked all her mentors, teachers and library volunteers for their constant encouragement to pursue her interest in docu-filmmaking.
