We are delighted to announce the 2007/08 winner

'CITY OF WIDOWS' -  The £1,500 prize money was presented to Purnima Raghunath for her film The City of Widows by
Ben Gibson, Director of The London Film School.  The winner also received a full version of Final Draft Software and a year's subscription to Moviescope Magazine .  The runners up also received a year's subscription to Moviescope Magazine and the book  'Speaking of films' which brings together some of Ray's most memorable writings on film and film-making.   

City of Widows uncovers a segment of Indian society that seems to remain unchanged by time. Vrindavan, a small pilgrim city in northern India, is home to more than 16,000 abandoned widows.Deserted by their families or relatives who no longer want them, these women come to Vrindavan and spend the rest of their lives singing bhajans (holy hymns) in praise of Lord Krishna.

Ancient Hindu texts dictate that widows are unlucky or "inauspicious". Being deemed socially untouchable, they are forbidden to marry again. They are expected to devote the remainder of their lives to the memory of their husbands, renounce all of life's luxuries and withdraw from society. They dress in white as symbol of their mourning. From newly-weds and mothers in their prime to elderly women who can barely walk, these women live a hand to mouth existence with the constant fear of sexual exploitation and physical abuse, depending on alms for their daily existence.

The filmmaker Purnima Raghunath embarks on a journey to understand the reasons for the survival of this brutal tradition in modern India.  She meets diverse characters- the widows themselves as well as other people entwined in their lives - all of who narrate different aspects of this unspoken tale.  Although 'The City of Widows' is set in a small city in India, it brings up questions that resonate in the lives of people all over the world. Questions regarding tradition, religion and society in a transforming world.