Bhubaneswar, 05 September (H.S.): The Social Security and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) Department of the Odisha Government organised the national short film festival ‘Samarthya 2026’ at the MMIT Auditorium in Bhubaneswar on Saturday, bringing together filmmakers, artists, officials and social workers to celebrate the talent, determination and achievements of persons with disabilities through cinema.

Unlike earlier editions, which primarily focused on creating awareness about disability, this year’s festival placed greater emphasis on the confidence, accomplishments and positive contributions of persons with disabilities to society. Through compelling stories of resilience and determination, the festival sought to challenge conventional social stereotypes and present disability from a perspective of ability, achievement and empowerment.

The festival received 62 film entries from across the country, comprising 20 national-level and 42 regional films. Following a two-stage evaluation conducted by RR Events and Cine Production, 38 films were shortlisted for the final screening. To ensure focused and impactful storytelling, the duration of each film was limited to a maximum of five minutes.

Accessibility remained a key feature of the festival, with participating films incorporating audio description and sign language to make the content accessible to audiences with visual and hearing impairments.

The jury, headed by veteran cinematographer Jugal Debata, included Tripura Mishra and disability rights activist Jitendra Biswal. The panel evaluated the shortlisted entries and selected the winners in various categories.

In the national category, ‘Tune of Life’ and ‘Medal’ jointly won the Best Film award. ‘Tune of Life’ also secured awards for Best Director, Best Actor for Sahu Jaysinghrao Sabekar, and Best Prop Use. ‘A Little Big Dream’ received the Best Film award from the Panel Expert Committee as well as the Best Cinematography award. ‘Plea’ won Best Story/Screenplay, while Atreyee Banerjee was named Best Actress.

In the Odia category, ‘Antardrashti’ and ‘Leak’ jointly received the Best Film award. ‘Leak’ won multiple honours, including Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Actor for Bikram Keshari Mohanty, and Best Actress for Deepika Tripathi. ‘Antahswara’ received the Special Awareness Award, while ‘Chandrarohana’ and ‘The Wheel’ were honoured by the Panel Expert Committee.

The event was attended by Bhubaneswar Mayor Sulochana Das, SSEPD Special Secretary Rajani Jani, Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities Bratati Harichandan, and Financial Advisor Jayashree Tripathi. Festival Brand Ambassador and actress Sheetal Patra, along with senior SSEPD officials and students from various educational institutions, also participated in the programme.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda