National Award Winning Director Rajeev Kumar wins Best Director Award at DESIblitz Fusion Film Festival

National Award winning Director Rajeev Kumar has been awarded the Best Director Award at DESIblitz Fusion Film Festival held in Birmingham, United Kingdom. He has been awarded for his movie Chamm, which focuses on the Dalit Community of Punjab. UK based Producer of movie Rakaans received the award on behalf of Rajeev Kumar.

The DESIblitz Film Fusion festival was a 10-day event with 10+ screenings. A first of its kind, the festival focuses on promoting and elevating Punjabi, Pakistani and Sports films. The ethos of the festival was to increase awareness of films related to specific Desi storylines that need their narratives unveiled and told to new and existing audiences.

Other Film Fusion 2022 award winners include:
•    Best Actor – Shoib Nikash Shah (Country Of Blind)
•    Best Actress – Anushka Sen (Am I Next)
•    Best Short – CHA (Animation) – Directed by Gagandeep Kalarai
•    Best Short Film Director – Shoaib Sultan  (Darya Kay Iss Par)
•    Best Film – THE JOURNEY WITHIN – THE ‘Coke Studio’ Origin Story – Directed by Mian Adnan Ahmad
•    Best Documentary – Outswing –  Directed by Samar Minallah Khan
•    Best Director – Rajeev Kumar (Chamm)
•    Lifetime Achievement Award – Leslee Udwin
•    Lifetime Contribution Award – Jamil Dehlavi

The indie festival targeted underrepresented groups and communities, young and mature audiences. Providing a platform for alternative and language-based cinema, the festival aimed to promote diversity and culture that is stimulating, educational, and inspiring, with an exciting film programme, talent, discussions, and short film competition. Categories for the festival were feature films, documentaries and short films, including animations.

The festival saw Punjabi Films with themes Inspiring, creative and strong story-based Punjabi films that are made in the Punjabi language, originating from India, Pakistan, UK, USA, Canada or anywhere in the world; PAKISTANI FILMS relating to Pakistan and promoting the culture, lifestyle and languages of Pakistan including Urdu. Films can originate from Pakistan, UK, USA, Canada or anywhere globally; SPORTS FILMS unveiling sports stories of challenges, success and accomplishments that connect with UK's diverse communities. They can originate from the UK, South Asia or anywhere internationally; and other films from UK and rest of the world representative of Desi culture in any manner produced in the UK or globally that have inspiring stories to tell through their creative narratives. Any format including animation was part of the list.