Kannada movie Shivamma and actor-director Aamir Bashir’s The Winter Within have won trophies at the 2022 Busan International Film Festival.

Shivamma, directed by first-time filmmaker Jaishankar Aryar, won the New Currents Award along with the Korean title A Wild Roomer. Bashir’s The Winter Within was adjudged the winner of KB New Currents Audience Award during the festival’s closing ceremony on Friday.

Shivamma chronicles the story of a poor middle-aged woman sales representative for an energy drink company. It features Sharanamma Chetti and Chennamma Abbegere and is produced by Kantara director-actor Rishab Shetty.

“We appreciated the originality and intensity with which the director was able to tell this very contemporary story. Here documentary and fiction meet in an organic and spirited way of making cinema. The generosity of the actors and the scenes create a closeness with this universal story that takes place in an Indian village,” the jury, which included world-renowned film experts, said in a note shared on the festival website.

Aryar, who hails from Bengaluru, celebrated his debut film's win in a post on Instagram. “Delighted to share the wonderful news that the new currents award of 27th Busan film festival goes to Shivamma. The first Kannada film to win this honour.”

Bashir’s The Winter Within is his second directorial effort after the 2010 National Award-winning Urdu movie Harud. The movie is set in Bashir's native Kashmir and follows a domestic helper, Nargis, who looks everywhere to find out whether her husband Manzoor, who was arrested after joining the armed rebellion, is dead or alive.

Known for appearing in films and shows such as A Wednesday, Haider and Sacred Games, Bashir penned the movie's screenplay with filmmaker Shanker Raman. The two had earlier collaborated on Raman's 2017 acclaimed directorial Gurgaon.

The 27th edition of the Busan International Film Festival was held from October 5 to 14.