`Stanley Ka Dabba` wins award at film fest in Italy

Mumbai: New Delhi: Writer-filmmaker-child activist Amole Gupte`s "Stanley Ka Dabba" won a special award at the Giffoni Film Festival, one of the largest children`s film fest in Europe.

The award "United Against Injustice: Depends on me" has been given by ActionAid, an organisation whose vision is to have a world without poverty. "The issue of hunger and need for the entire world, including the medium of cinema, especially the so-called commercial one, to respond is very urgent. But sadly the world is not listening hard enough," said Gupte. "My films are like a giant microphone that is intended to break the state of lull we seem to have slipped into on some of the gravest challenges of our time," he added. Gupte feels there is a dearth of such films in the industry. "There is a vacuum in this space on such issues and someone must fill that," he said. The jury found Gupte`s film as a tool to speak out about poverty and the need to go ahead with the struggle against hunger. The festival that takes place in in Giffoni Valle Piana, Italy, kickstarted July 12 and will end Thursday. IANS