‘Bee the Future,’ by Indian American filmmakers Monika Samtani and Sarva Rajendra, wins a Silver Remi award at the Worldfest Film Festival.
A touching documentary about a spelling bee contest organized for disadvantaged children from Bangalore’s poorest schools has won a prestigious honor at the Worldfest Film Festival in Houston, Texas.
Washington area-based filmmakers Monika Samtani and Sarva Rajendra are behind the project, which received the Silver Remi award in the “Documentaries Under 60 Minutes” category at the festival.
The documentary is based on an outreach program run by Sahasra Deepika Foundation (SD), a US-based nonprofit run by Rajendra.
The foundation is founded by a Virginia family dedicated to the cause of education and residential care of impoverished girls in Bangalore, India.
The documentary highlights the foundation’s outreach program, a spelling bee contest that can potentially change the future of many poor kids. The winner is granted a college scholarship and a chance to secure a brighter future.
The film follows students in the 2016 annual spelling bee contest. The competition is intense, and the winner is granted a college scholarship and a chance for a bright future. The event represents the chance of a lifetime.
Viewers follow the preparation and fierce competition faced by the prospective winners, culminating in the longest and most intense Spelling Bee in the history of the event.
“We are so honored to receive the Silver Remi Award,” said Rajendra, the President of Sahasra Deepika and the film’s executive producer. “Bee the Future is a story of the hope and aspirations felt by the children in the Sahasra Deepika Outreach Program. On behalf of all of us at Sahasra Deepika, we extend our thanks to the festival judges for their acknowledgement and support.”
“To be given this recognition on behalf of Bee the Future is a dream come true,” said director Monika Samtani. “I couldn’t be more proud to have the opportunity to tell this story. The film shows the impact the foundation is having with the children of Bangalore. It’s truly changing lives for the better, and after 20 years, it’s now time for Sahasra Deepika and the founders to get the recognition they deserve.”
“Bee the Future” has also been featured at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival, where it received 1st Runner-Up in the Documentary Shorts category, the DC South Asian Film Festival, and the Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival.