Shashank Walia’s Birds in the Dark wins the New Currents Award after an audience honour at Busan, marking a milestone for independent Indian cinema.
Shashank Walia’s Birds in the Dark wins the New Currents Award at Busan (Photo: Special Arrangement)
ByETV Bharat Entertainment Team
Hyderabad:The 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) concluded on October 15, 2026, with films from across the world earning recognition for their storytelling and artistic vision. Among the major highlights for Indian cinema was Shashank Walia’s debut Punjabi feature Birds in the Dark (Hanere De Panchi), which added another honour to its list of achievements. After winning the Songwon Vision Audience Award – Asia, the film bagged the prestigious New Currents Award at the festival.
The double win marks a significant moment for independent Indian cinema. The New Currents Award recognises emerging Asian filmmakers and comes with prize money of 30 million Korean won. While the audience award reflects viewers’ appreciation, the New Currents honour adds further recognition to Walia’s debut feature and its distinctive approach to storytelling.
Birds in the Dark: A Black-and-White Film About Love, Justice and Resistance
Birds in the Dark, also known by its original Punjabi title Hanere De Panchi, is an independent drama-romance film directed by cinematographer-turned-filmmaker Shashank Walia. The film stands out for its black-and-white visuals and its use of silence to tell a story that explores complex human emotions and social themes.
Filmmaker and producer Hansal Mehta, who has backed the project under his production banner True Story Films, previously spoke about how he discovered the film’s potential. Recalling the early stages of the project, Mehta said Mauli Singh and Ankur Pathak had approached his team with the film the previous year. However, it was only after watching the first 40 minutes of the film on Walia’s laptop in Chandigarh that Mehta realised how special it was.
He said he was blown away by what he saw and felt proud to be associated with the project. Sharing his thoughts on social media, Mehta described Birds in the Dark as a quiet film in which every frame tells a story through its silences. He noted that the film explores justice, longing, resistance and gender while offering a thoughtful reflection on love.
Shashank Walia’s Birds in the Dark wins the New Currents Award at Busan (Photo: Special Arrangement)
Mehta also expressed pride in collaborating on the film with Sahil and Reema Kaur, who has edited the project. He praised the cast and crew for their efforts in bringing the film to life. The filmmaker further highlighted Walia’s distinctive style, expressing confidence in his future as a director. He said True Story Films supports voices it believes will matter in the years to come and included Walia among the filmmakers to watch.
Produced by Reema Kaur and Hansal Mehta under True Story Films, Birds in the Dark marks an important step in Walia’s journey from cinematography to direction. Its success at Busan gives the independent Punjabi film a wider international platform and brings fresh attention to regional Indian cinema.
Busan International Film Festival 2026: Complete List of Winners
Held from October 6 to October 15 at the Busan Cinema Center in South Korea, the 31st edition of BIFF celebrated films, filmmakers and performers from different parts of the world. The festival’s main awards were announced at the closing gala on October 15, while the Busan Vision Awards were announced on October 14.
- Best Film: Midday Meal – Majid Majidi
- Special Jury Award: My Mother – Eddie Cahyono
- Best Director: Lee Yun-chan – To Be Ordinary
- Best Actor: Zhou Xun – The First Taste of Loneliness
- Best Actress: Kashun Himeno – Satoko Always
- Artistic Contribution Award: The First Taste of Loneliness
- New Currents Award: Birds in the Dark – Shashank Walia
- Actor of the Year (Female): Won Hyang-ra – Beyond Love’s Horizon
- Actor of the Year (Male): Kang Seung-ho – Cosmic Trace
- Flash Forward Audience Award: La Bola Negra – Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi
- Documentary Audience Award: Recovery – Im Yeonjeong
- BIFF Mecenat Award – Korea: Can I Talk to You?
- BIFF Mecenat Award – Asia: AGAAR
- BIFF Mecenat Award – Special Mention: A Woman Dancing on the Waves
- Sonje Award – Korea: TOE’S
- Sonje Award – Asia: Fatima
- Sonje Award – Special Mention: The Boy Who Fell to Earth
- NETPAC Award: Zogsool – Sakhya Byamba
- FIPRESCI Award: Zogsool – Sakhya Byamba
- Bishkek International Film Festival–Central Asia Union Award: There Will Be Snow – Chen Jianying
- Face of the Future Award: After the Song – Kumamoto Ryohei
- The Heart of Eurasia Award: Ria – Arvin Belarmino
- Hylife Vision Award: (Korea) Zogsool – Sakhya Byamba
- Hylife Vision Award: (Asia) Selvi – Sailesh Rathnakumar
- International Film Festival of India–Vision Asia Award: The Cord – Darkhan Tulegenov
- Songwon Vision Award: Birds in the Dark – Shashank Walia
- Taipei Film Commission Award: Selvi – Sailesh Rathnakumar
- Vision of Jiseok Award: Zogsool – Sakhya Byamba
- DGK PLUS M Award: The Flower – Kim Si-jin
- CGV Award: FULL MOON – Jeong Ji-hye
- KBS Independent Film Award: Beyond Love’s Horizon – Park Songyeol
- Critic B Award: Beyond Love’s Horizon – Park Songyeol
- Busan Cinephile Award: Birds of War – Janay Boulos and Abd Alkader Habak
- Citizen Critic’s Award: BALER – Oh Sehyeon
- K-MOVIE Award: FULL MOON – Jeong Ji-hye
- Jeong-in Award: BALER – Oh Sehyeon
- Songwon Vision Audience Award – Korea: FULL MOON – Jeong Ji-hye
- Asian Filmmaker of the Year: Michelle Yeoh, Malaysian actress
- Camellia Award: Ann Hui, Hong Kong filmmaker and actress
- Korean Film Achievement Award: Kim Dong-ho, former chairman of the Busan International Film Festival
Why Busan Film Festival 2026 Matters
The 2026 edition of BIFF was particularly significant as the festival gained recognition as an A-list festival under the revamped accreditation process of the International Federation of Film Producers’ Associations. This places it alongside major international film festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, Venice, Locarno and San Sebastian.
Shashank Walia’s Birds in the Dark wins the New Currents Award at Busan (Photo: Special Arrangement)
For independent filmmakers, international festivals provide an opportunity to take their stories beyond domestic audiences and connect with the global film industry. Recognition at Busan can help films gain visibility, attract distributors and introduce emerging directors to a wider audience.
