Rima Das joins jury for New Currents Award at Busan International Film Festival

Indian filmmaker Rima Das will serve on the jury for the New Currents Award at the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF), joining Chinese producer Shan Zuolong and Korean actor Shim Eun-kyung. The award, one of Busan’s key platforms for emerging Asian filmmakers, recognises a debut or second feature presented in the festival’s Competition or Vision sections. The winning filmmaker will receive a cash prize of KRW 20 million (approximately $14,400).

Rima Das named to New Currents jury as Indian cinema marks strong Busan presence

Das, one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary Indian independent cinema, has built her body of work around intimate stories of ordinary lives, resilience and the relationship between people and their surroundings. Based in Assam, the filmmaker has taken her films to more than 150 festivals worldwide and received over 75 international honours.

Her filmography includes Village Rockstars (2017), Bulbul Can Sing (2018), Tora’s Husband (2022), Village Rockstars 2 (2024) and Not a Hero (2026). Her work has featured at major international festivals including Toronto, Berlin and Busan. Village Rockstars won Best Feature Film at India’s National Film Awards and was selected as India’s entry for the Academy Awards in 2018.

Busan has also been an important festival for Das. Village Rockstars 2 won the Kim Jiseok Award at the 2024 edition, while Not a Hero received a Special Mention from the Generation Youth Jury for the Crystal Bear for Best Film in the Generation Kplus section at this year’s Berlinale. Das is also a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and has previously served on international festival juries.

Her appointment comes as Indian cinema makes a notable showing at this year’s Busan festival. The Indian selection includes Anuparna Roy’s Lovers in the Blue Light, Leo Thaddeus’ The Soul Whisperer, Vishwendra Singh’s Khoriya, Sahil Shah’s Birds on Ice and Sandeep Kumar Paul’s About an Intimate Matter.

The Indian presence extends to the festival’s other sections as well. Sailesh Rathnakumar’s Selvi and Shashank Walia’s Birds in the Dark have been selected for Vision Asia, while Paromita Dhar’s Salt Electric will compete in the Wide Angle: Asian Short Film Competition.

The 31st Busan International Film Festival will be held from October 6 to 15. Meanwhile, Das’ Village Rockstars 2 is set for a limited pan-India theatrical release on September 25.

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