Busan International Film Festival | Birds In The Dark, Selvi Win At The South Korean Fest

Two Indian films have triumphed at the Busan Film Festival 2026. Birds in the Dark (Hanere De Panchi), written, cinematographed and directed by Shashank Walia, has won the Songwon Vision Audience Award – Asia at the 31st Busan International Film Festival (BIFF). The Songwon Vision Audience Award carries a cash prize of 10 Million Korean Won.

Against the backdrop of a surging agricultural uprising in Punjab, Birds in the Dark tells the striking story of a cynical law enforcement officer and a suspect who unexpectedly forge a deep, tender bond of romance and empathy. The film stars Mauli Singh, Sapna Das, Harwinder Aujla, Shahnawaz Bhat and Navdeep Bajwa. Birds In The Dark is shot in black-and-white and features dialects of Punjabi, Kashmiri and Urdu.

Birds In The Dark Makers On The Win

This film is a collaborative production spearheaded by Reema Kaur, Hansal Mehta, and Sahil Saigal, operating under the True Story Films banner. Filmmaker Shashank Walia has written, shot and directed Birds in the Dark.

Speaking on the win, Shashank Walia says, “I am deeply grateful that Birds in the Dark has won the Audience Award at Busan. We have always thought of this as a people's film, and this recognition belongs, above all, to the people of the five villages in Punjab who came together to make it. We owe the film to them. This award is theirs.”

On his debut film’s reception in Busan, he adds, “I dedicate this win to those workers and lovers of the world who still believe that love, mutual aid, and solidarity can bring us closer to a more just world. To the people of Busan: thank you for receiving our film with such warmth.”

Producer Hansal Mehta adds, “Sahil (Saigal) and I are proud that Birds in the Dark has won the Songwon Vision Audience Award, and prouder still of the love it has received from Korean audiences. When an audience embraces a fresh voice, chooses subtlety over spectacle, and responds to a film about gender, labour, justice, love and resistance, you realise that as long as cinema like this lives on, there is hope in our world. This award fills me with that hope."

Selvi Garners Two Prizes At Busan

The other big win belongs to Selvi, the first feature from Tamil filmmaker Sailesh Rathnakumar, which premiered in the Vision–Asia section. Anjali Patil plays the title role and produces through her banner Anahat Films. Selvi won the Hylife Vision Award as well as the Taipei Film Commission Award.

The film was one of only two Indian productions selected for the festival’s Vision – Asia section, which showcases Asian cinema. Selvi’s journey explores the harsh realities of relocating for gig labor, where the central homecare nurse battles profound loneliness and grueling shifts. Grappling with unpredictable work periods stretching anywhere from half a day to three full days, she finds her private life entirely dismantled. Initially centered on themes of relocation, companionship, and support, the narrative takes a sinister shift as a haunting shadow from Selvi's earlier years reemerges, forcing her to confront grueling decisions and the relentless instinct to endure.