MUMBAI, September 14 – RIA Dagestan. The 14th Indian Cine Film Festival in Mumbai has awarded its top prize to "On Cinema and Life... Sadik Idrisov", a documentary exploring the legacy of an outstanding Dagestani cultural leader. The film meticulously details the creative journey and pedagogical impact of Idrisov, an Honored Mentor of Youth who played a pivotal role in advancing the republic's cinematic and educational spheres.
Ilyas Daudi, a Hero of Russia and master's candidate at S.A. Gerasimov VGIK, served as both the writer and director of the winning production. VGIK Rector Vladimir Malyshev acted as the general producer and project head, ensuring the documentary met the high standards required for international festival recognition.
The festival's competitive program ran from September 11 to 13 in the capital of Indian cinema. By a decision of the international jury, the works of Ilyas Daudi won in three key categories: "Best Feature-Length Documentary" for "On Cinema and Life... Sadik Idrisov”, "Best Feature Film Screenplay" for the project "Kipling's Soldier" and "Best Music Video" for "Nai Noumie", a video set to the works of Jalaluddin Rumi and featuring young VGIK actors Yosuman Ismailova and Shahriyor Gulmakhmadzada.
The selection committee included the Russian filmmaker's projects in five nominations simultaneously, an achievement rarely seen for a single director throughout the festival's history.
The Indian Cine Film Festival (ICFF) is held annually in Mumbai and took place for the 14th time in 2026, offering categories for feature-length and short films, documentaries, screenwriting and music videos serving as a key platform for international independent cinema.