New York Indian Film Festival 2018: Nude wins Best Film, Actress; Nishil Sheth is Best Director

The New York Indian Film Festival announced the winners of its recently concluded 18th edition. Ravi Jadhav's controversial Marathi film Nude (2018) was chosen Best Film while its lead actress Kalyanee Mulay picked up the trophy for Best Actress. Manoj Bajpayee was named the Best Actor for Dipesh Jain's In The Shadows (Gali Guleiyan). Whistling Woods International alumnus Nishil Sheth won Best Director for his first film Bhasmasur.

Ali Haji of the upcoming film, Noblemen, directed by Vandana Kataria, was awarded the Best Child Actor. Co-starring Kunal Kapoor, the film addresses the issues of bullying and sexuality. Another Marathi film, Chumbak/The Lottery, starring Swanand Kirkire, was chosen for the Best Screenplay award.

Arshad Khan's film Abu, a personal coming-out tale of the filmmaker to his pious father, won for Best Documentary. The animated short by Abhishek Verma, Maacher Jhol, which won the National award for Best Animation Film earlier this month, was chosen Best Short Film. Like Abu, this film, too, explores a young man coming out to his parents.

Prominent writers and film personalities like Salman Rushdie, Shashi Tharoor, Mira Nair, Shabana Azmi, Deepa Mehta, Shyam Benegal, Mani Ratnam, Madhur Jaffrey, Sabrina Dhawan, Sakina Jaffrey serve on the festival's advisory board.