New Delhi, February 27 A Pakistani-Sri Lankan documentary, supported by the Pulitzer Centre, is set to receive two awards at the 2026 Jalgaon International Film Festival in India.
"Democracy in Debt: Sri Lanka Beyond the Headlines," filmed in Sri Lanka in 2024 following the island nation's economic crisis, will be honored with the best social film and best screenplay awards on March 1 during the festival, which will be held in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra.
The documentary is produced by Pakistani journalist and filmmaker Beena Sarwar in collaboration with Sri Lankan historian and filmmaker Dr SinhaRaja Tammita Delgoda, who also co-wrote and co-directed it, alongside researcher Uditha Devapriya, according to a press release.
Featuring the voices of farmers and teachers from a remote village in North Central province, set against the views of policymakers, economists, and the then Prime Minister in Colombo, the film has since been screened at over 80 events across more than 25 countries.
The Jalgaon International Film Festival this year received over 2,500 submissions from 75 countries, with "Democracy in Debt" among 250 films selected for awards by a jury comprising professionals from India, Iran, Egypt, Portugal, and the Netherlands.
The awards ceremony will be held at the Abdul Kalam Azad Research Centre in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.
Local activist Mirza Dawood Azad will accept the awards on behalf of the film's team. Winners will receive a trophy, certificate, and a Maharashtra pagri (traditional cap).
The documentary, which officially premiered in Colombo in July 2024, is the first production under the Southasia Peace Action Network and its affiliated news service, Sapan News, both led by Sarwar.