Ashmita Guha Neogi’s Catdog wins Cinéfondation Selection’s first prize as part of Cannes 2020 Special

Ashmita Guha Neogi’s Catdog has won the first prize at the 23rd Cinéfondation film school competition at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

Cinestaan Curates: Catdog creates a dream-like world that will unsettle you

The filmmaker, who graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune, will receive a grant of €15,000 (around Rs13,05,075) for the first prize. Her short film, Catdog, about a close relationship between two siblings under threat, was the only Indian project chosen for the prestigious French festival this year.

This year’s Cinéfondation Selection included 17 student films chosen from 1,952 entries entered from 444 film schools around the world. The Short Films and Cinéfondation Jury consisting of actor Damien Bonnard, actress Céline Sallette, filmmakers Rachid Bouchareb, Claire Burger, Dea Kulumbegashvili, and producer Charles Gillibert handed out the 2020 prizes of the Cinéfondation film school competition on Wednesday at the stage of the Grand Théâtre Lumière as part of the festival’s Cannes 2020 Special event.

Catdog and the other films in competition will be shown at the Cinéma du Panthéon on 31 October.

The French festival decided against holding a physical edition this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic and is instead showcasing films that were selected for this year's edition at different fall festivals.

The 74th Cannes Film Festival is scheduled to be held from 11–22 May 2021.