Richa Chadha and Ali Fazal’s production debut Girls Will Be Girls and Anirban Dutta-Anupama Srinivasan’s documentary Nocturnes bagged special jury awards at 2024 Sundance Film Festival, held at the Ray Theater in Park City in Utah, on Friday.

Directed by Shuchi Talati, Girls Will Be Girls emerged as a double winner, clinching both the Audience Award in the World Cinema Dramatic category and the Special Jury Award for Acting.

The coming-of-age drama is led by Preeti Panigrahi, who was recognised for her exceptional performance as Mira, a 16-year-old navigating the complexities of adolescence at a Himalayan boarding school. Kani Kusruti played Mira's mother, Anila, in the film.

Shuchi said directing Girls will be Girls was a deeply personal and rewarding experience for her. “The film’s success at Sundance is a testament to the collaborative efforts of a dedicated team. Richa has protected this story and film like a lioness,” she added.

A joint statement by Richa and Ali mentioned that the success of Girls will Be Girls has been a stuff of dreams. “This experience reinforces our belief in the power of storytelling and the need to champion diverse narratives that resonate globally…This recognition motivates us to continue pushing boundaries and telling new stories,” it said.

Nocturnes, a documentary on the lives of hawk moths in the Himalayas, also received the prestigious World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Craft, recognising the film’s meticulous attention to detail and cinematic craftsmanship.

The success of Nocturnes marks the fourth consecutive year that Indian filmmakers have been honoured at the festival. Writing with Fire had received the Audience Award and Special Jury Award: Impact for Change in 2021, followed by All That Breathes, which had secured the Grand Jury Prize in 2022. Last year, Against The Tide had earned the Special Jury Award for Vérité Filmmaking.