LOS ANGELES: Filmmaker Ajitpal Singh's acclaimed movie "Fire in the Mountains" has won the Audience Award for Best Feature at the 19th Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA).
The 19th edition of festival concluded its eight-day run on Thursday, during which it showcased 40 films in 17 languages, including movies by 16 women directors.
"Fire in the Mountains", which is the feature directorial debut of Singh, was screened at the opening night of the festival.
"We always have an audience in mind when we make films, it's so great to know that 'Fire in the Mountains' resonated with its viewers in California and they rewarded us with the audience choice award at IFFLA," Singh said in a statement.
The film had its World Premiere at Sundance Film Festival 2021 in the "World Cinema Dramatic Competition".
The family drama follows a mother who toils to save money to build a road in a remote Himalayan village to take her wheelchair-bound son for physiotherapy.
But her husband believes that a shamanic ritual (Jagar) is the remedy and steals her savings.
The movie features Vinamrata Rai, Chandan Bisht and Sonal Jha, and first time young actors Harshita Tewari and Mayank Singh Jaira from Uttarakhand.
Singh's short film "Rammat-Gammat" was also screened as part of the festival's special programme "Childhood on Edge".