Biswanath Rath
Biswanath Rath is an Indian film director, screenwriter, editor and producer. His films have received Awards and Recognitions in a total of 208 International Film Festivals. He is the founder of Production company BnR Films LLP.
His first short film Kar Bhalaa has garnered a total of 42 International Film Festivals nominations and three awards. His debut music video was Feel the passion. It has received 21 International Film Festival nominations. His first ad-film The 'Right' Glass is a social ad-film based on Child Rights, which has garnered two awards and 58 International Film Festival nominations. His Tamil Music Video Namma Chennai Chancey Illa, produced by National Daily The Times of India with the theme 'Celebration of Chennai and its culture, was premiered at TourFilm Riga - Tourism Film Festival in 2017.
This video is a spiritual successor to Chancey Illa. His English Documentary A Zero to Hero Collaborative Approach, released on World Food Day received 'Audience Award' at AgriCulture Film Festival held at Rome on 9 December 2017. This documentary tells the inspirational success story of collaboration between Dangarbheja Gram Panchayat and a Civil Society Organisation named Govindalaya.
His latest English Documentary Kotpad Weaving : The Story of a Race Against Time, was telecasted on DD National on 24 March 2018. This documentary explores the uniqueness of Kotpad Handloom, the issues and possible solutions for revival of Kotpad Weaving and Dyeing. The film had its Australian Premiere at Sydney on 15 November 2018 as part of a Handloom exhibition titled 'The Kotpad Collection' organised by brand 'Kay Collections'. It had its Indian Premiere at Kashmir World Film Festival, Srinagar on 30 November 2018 where it won 'Best Short Documentary' award. The film also features Padma Shri award recipient Gobardhan Panika. The documentary film has garnered a total of 27 International Film Festivals nominations and two awards. This film is World's first documentary film on Kotpad Handloom.. In June 2020, the film premiered on Amazon Prime US, UK, Canada, Australia and other English-speaking territories of Amazon Prime, making it the first documentary from Odisha to feature on a major global OTT platform.
In June 2020, his romantic Odia Music Video 'ବର୍ଷା ଭିଜା ରାତି' premiered on an OTT named 'IndieShorts', making it the first Odia Music Video to feature on a National OTT platform.
His Silent Short Film 'New Champion' received 'Best Films in Indian Panorama' Award at CMS International Children's Film Festival at Lucknow on 9 April 2018.
Personal life
Biswanath Rath was born in Jeypore, Odisha to Raghunath Rath and Pramila Rath. He is an alumnus of Department of Mechanical Engineering at National Institute of Technology, Warangal. During 2007-2010, he worked in Maruti Suzuki India Limited after which he moved to Chennai for learning film making. At Chennai, he completed formal courses in Screenwriting and Film Direction and started his film-making career.In 2015, he founded film production company BnR Films LLP with his wife Archana Rath.
Awards and recognition from Indian Socio-Cultural Associations
| Year | Award | Event Name | Organisation | Location |
| 2017 | Adarsh Prabasi Odia | Prabasi Odia Business Summit | Odisha Without Border | Chennai |
| 2019 | Utkal Shree | Utkal Divas | Thane Odia Association | Mumbai |
| 2019 | Adarsh Prabasi Samman | Raja Mahostav | Kalinga Swaraj Foundation | Pune |
| 2019 | Bartika Artist Award | Odisha Hastatanta Carnival | Bartika Handlooms | Bhubaneswar |
Filmography
| Year | Film | Contribution | Awards/Accolades | Type/Language |
| 2013 | Kar Bhalaa | Writer/Lyricist/Director/Producer | Yuva Nirman Short Film Festival, Ahmednagar - 2nd Best Short Film Award Srishti Short Film Festival, Bhubaneswar - Best Direction Award Delhi Short International Film Festival, Delhi - Official Selection & Screening 7 Continent Film Festival, Online - Official Selection & Screening Delhi International Film Festival, Delhi - Official Selection & Screening Siliguri International Short & Documentary Film Festival, Siliguri - Official Selection & Screening Script Short International Film Festival, Kochi - Official Selection & Screening Jaipur International Film Festival, Jaipur - Official Selection & Screening FilmSaaz International Film Festival, Aligarh - Official Selection & Screening IIT Bombay Film Festival, Mumbai - Official Selection & Screening Nashik International Film Festival, Nashik - Official Selection & Screening Jagran Film Festival, Mumbai - Official Selection & Screening Monsoon Asia Film Festival, Taiwan - Official Selection & Screening Visionaria Film Festival, Italy - Official Selection & Screening Goldensun Short Film Festival, Italy - Official Selection & Screening Wiper Film Festival, New York - Official Selection & Screening Ozark Shorts Film Festival, USA - Official Selection & Screening Creative International Open Film Festival, Bangladesh - Official Selection & Screening CMS International Children's Film Festival, Lucknow - Official Selection & Screening Cine Phone Film Festival, Spain - Official Selection & Screening Nassau Film Festival, New Jersey - Only short film from India to get screened Second Asia International Youth Short-Film Exhibition, Beijing - Official Selection & Screening Smile International Film Festival for Children and Youth, New Delhi - Official Selection & Screening Roselle Park Loves Shorts Film Festival, New Jersey - Official Selection & Screening Indie Wise International Film Festival, Florida Official Selection & Screening PIPA Film Festival, Brazil - Official Selection & Screening Children's International Film Festival, North Carolina - Semi-Finalist & Screening Global Short Film Awards, New York - Official Selection & Screening Caribbean Film Festival & Market, USA - Official Selection & Screening Ahuja International Film Festival, Nigeria - Official Selection & Screening Cardiff International Film Festival, UK - Official Selection & Screening Shortfundly ShortFilm of the Month October 2017 - Award & Screening Best of India Short Film Festival, USA - Semi-Finalist China Microfilm Micro-Video, Beijing - Official Selection & Screening Grand IndieWise Convention, Florida - Official Selection & Screening San Mauro Film Festival, Italy - Official Selection & Screening Marin County International Festival of Short Film & Video, California - Official Selection & Screening Flicks Fiesta 2018, Malaysia - Official Selection & Screening ShortFundly Online Film Festival - Winner of Short Film of the Month Award-Oct 2017 Inshort Film Festival, Nigeria - Official Selection & Screening Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards, Mumbai - Official Selection & Screening MoziMotion International Film Festival, Netherlands - Official Selection & Screening | Short Film |
| 2014 | The Invincible Code | Writer/Editor/Director/Producer | Indie Wise International Film Festival, Florida - Official Selection & Screening Geo Film Festival & Expo Cinema, Padova - Official Selection & Screening Miami Epic Festival, Florida - Semi-Finalist & Screening Cefalu Film Festival, Italy - Official Selection & Screening San Mauro Film Festival, Italy - Official Selection & Screening Inshort Film Festival, Nigeria - Official Selection & Screening MoziMotion International Film Festival, Netherlands - Official Selection & Screening | Short Film |
| 2015 | The 'Right' Glass | Writer/Editor/Director/Producer | Srishti Short Film Festival, Bhubaneswar - 'Best Fiction Award' Kallola Short Film Festival, Bhubaneswar - 'Children Choice Award' FilmSaaz International Film Festival, Aligarh - Official Selection & Screening Jagran Film Festival, Mumbai - Official Selection & Screening Development Film Festival, Madurai - Official Selection & Screening Kolkata International Film Festival, Kolkata - Official Selection & Screening BlackBird International Film Festival, New York - Official Selection & Screening Afghanistan Human Rights International Film Festival, Kabul - Official Selection & Screening Goldensun Short Film Festival, Italy - Official Selection & Screening iPhone Film Festival, California - Official Selection & Screening Ozak Shorts Film Festival, USA - Official Selection & Screening Visionaria Film Festival, Italy - Official Selection & Screening FilmSaaz International Film Festival, Aligarh - Official Selection & Screening CMS Children's International Film Festival, Lucknow - Official Selection & Screening River Film Festival, Italy - Official Selection & Screening Samawa Cinema, Iraq - Official Selection & Screening Bradford Small World Film Festival, UK - Official Selection & Screening Parachute Light Zero Act III International Film Festival, Paris - Official Selection & Screening Creative International Open Film Festival, Bangladesh - Semi-Finalist Sciuridae International Film Festival, USA - Official Selection & Screening Phoenix Film Festival, Melbourne - Official Selection & Screening Minutnik Film Festival, Europe - Official Selection & Screening Mister Vorky Film Festival, Europe - Official Selection & Screening RATMA International Film Festival, UK - Official Selection & Screening KISAKES Short Film Festival, Turkey - Official Selection & Screening Roselle Park Loves Shorts Film Festival, New Jersey - Official Selection & Screening Minute Mania Online Short Film Festival, Kolkata - Official Selection & Screening FerFilm International Film Festival, Europe - Official Selection & Screening Second Asia International Youth Short-Film Exhibition, Beijing - Official Selection & Screening Marano Ragazzi Spot Festival, Italy - Official Selection & Screening Wular Lake International Short Film Festival, Srinagar - Semi-Finalist PIPA Film Festival, Brazil - Official Selection & Screening Indie Wise International Film Festival, Florida - Official Selection & Screening PickUrFlick Indie Film Festival, Bengaluru - Official Selection & Screening Caribbean Film Festival & Market, USA - Semi-Finalist & Screening Breaking Waves Film Festival, Canada - Semi-Finalist & Screening Echo Film Festival, Moscow - Official Selection & Screening Miami Epic Festival, Florida - Semi-Finalist & Screening Geo Film Festival & Expo Cinema, Padova - Official Selection & Screening Cardiff International Film Festival, UK - Official Selection & Screening National Film Festival on Art & Artist, Bhubaneswar - Official Selection & Screening CortoKino Global Film Festival, Mumbai - Official Selection & Screening Best Seconds Video Competition, Switzerland - Official Selection in 'Good Cause' category & Screening Cefalu Film Festival, Italy - Official Selection & Screening ESMoA Video Art + Film Festival: La Esperanza, California - Official Selection & Screening China Microfilm Micro-Video, Beijing - Official Selection & Screening IndustryBOOST Competition, Florida - Official Selection & Screening San Mauro Film Festival, Italy - Official Selection & Screening Marin County International Festival of Short Film & Video, California - Official Selection & Screening Parrot National Films Festival, Bihar - Official Selection & Screening Inshort Film Festival, Nigeria - Official Selection & Screening MoziMotion International Film Festival, Netherlands - Official Selection & Screening LAMPA International Film Festival of socially oriented short films, videos and social advertising, Russia - Official Selection & Screening Festival de Cortometrajes "Jose Francisco Rosado" PACAS, Spain - Official Selection & Screening International Open Film Festival, New York - Official Selection & Screening StarBest Film Festival, Melbourne - Official Selection & Screening Celebrate Mooroolbark Festival, Melbourne - Official Selection & Screening Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival, Mumbai - Official Selection & Screening Golden Bee International Children's Film Festival, New Delhi - Official Selection & Screening | Social Ad-Film |
| 2015 | Feel The Passion | Writer/Director | BlackBird International Film Festival, New York - Official Selection & Screening Apex Short Film + Music Video Festival, USA - Official Selection & Screening Colossus Film Festival, Greece - Official Selection & Screening Creative International Open Film Festival, Bangladesh - Semi-Finalist & Screening KVAERNER Film Festival, Croatia - Official Selection & Screening I Filmmaker International Film Festival, Spain - Special Mention PIPA Film Festival, Brazil - Official Selection & Screening Indie Wise International Film Festival, Florida -Official Selection & Screening Global Short Film Festival, New York -Official Selection & Screening FilmSaaz International Film Festival, Aligarh - Official Selection & Screening Miami Epic Festival, Florida - Semi-Finalist & Screening Caribbean Film Festival & Market, USA - Semi-Finalist & Screening International Ayuryog Film Festival, Ghaziabad -Official Selection & Screening Cefalu Film Festival, Italy - Official Selection & Screening IndustryBOOST Competition, Florida - Official Selection & Screening San Mauro Film Festival, Italy - Official Selection & Screening My Mumbai International Short Film Festival, Mumbai - Official Selection & Screening Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards, Mumbai - Official Selection & Screening Music Shorts Film Festival, Missoula-USA - Official Selection & Screening MoziMotion International Film Festival, Netherlands - Official Selection & Screening Aasha International Film Festival, Nashik - Official Selection & Screening | Music Video |
| 2016 | New Champion | Writer/Editor/Director/Producer | Live Your Moment Contest by 48 HFP, Mumbai - Top 30 Best Ad-films & Screening Frames Film Festival, Mumbai - Official Selection & Screening Breaking Waves Film Festival, Canada - Semi-Finalist & Screening Miami Epic Festival, Florida - Semi-Finalist & Screening Best Seconds Video Competition, Switzerland - Official Selection in 'Known Brand' Category & Screening CMS International Children's Film Festival, Lucknow - 'Best films in Indian Panorama' Award & Screening Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards, Mumbai - Official Selection & Screening | Short Film |
| 2016 | A Zero To Hero Collaborative Approach | Writer/Editor/Director/Producer | AgriCulture Film Festival, Rome - Screening & 'Audience Award' Cardiff International Film Festival, UK - Official Selection & Screening Geo Film Festival & Expo Cinema, Padova - Official Selection & Screening G2 Green Earth Film Festival, Los Angeles - Semi-Finalist & Screening Caribbean Film Festival & Market, USA - Semi-Finalist & Screening Stories Lived Non-Fiction Film Contest, Florida - Official Selection & Screening IndieWise Film Festival, Florida - Official Selection & Screening San Mauro Film Festival, Italy - Official Selection & Screening Marin County International Festival of Short Film & Video, California - Official Selection & Screening Inshort Film Festival, Nigeria - Official Selection & Screening Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards, Mumbai - Official Selection & Screening MoziMotion International Film Festival, Netherlands - Official Selection & Screening | Documentary |
| 2017 | Uncut Hyderabad | Writer/Producer | Baja Web Fest, Mexico - Official Selection & Screening Caribbean Film Festival & Market, USA - Semi-Finalist & Screening International Tourism Film Festival "Tourfilm Riga", Latvia - Official Selection & Screening Culture of Life Film Festival, Memphis, USA - Official Selection & Screening MoziMotion International Film Festival, Netherlands - Official Selection & Screening | Documentary |
| 2017 | Namma Chennai Chancey illa | Writer/Director | 'Tourfilm Riga' - International Tourism Film Festival, Europe - World Premiere Caribbean Film Festival & Market, USA - Semi-Finalist & Screening Cardiff International Film Festival, UK - Official Selection & Screening Cefalu Film Festival, Italy - Official Selection & Screening San Mauro Film Festival, Italy - Official Selection & Screening My Mumbai International Short Film Festival, Mumbai - Official Selection & Screening Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards, Mumbai - Official Selection & Screening Music Shorts Film Festival, Missoula-USA - Official Selection & Screening MoziMotion International Film Festival, Netherlands - Official Selection & Screening Aasha International Film Festival, Nashik - Official Selection & Screening | Music Video |
| 2018 | Kotpad Weaving : The Story of a Race Against Time | Research, Script & Direction | Marin County International Festival of Short Film & Video, California - World Premiere ZAGREB TOURFILM FESTIVAL, Croatia - European Premiere Metro Film & TV Awards, USA - 'Award of Excellence' & Screening Kashmir World Film Festival, Srinagar - Screening & Best Short Documentary Award The Kotpad Collection, Sydney - Australian Premiere Smita Patil International Film Festival, Pune - Official Selection & Screening Inshort Film Festival, Nigeria - Official Selection & Screening Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards, Mumbai - Official Selection & Screening Asian College of Journalism - Educational Screening Screening of Award-winning Docs, Pune - Official Selection & Screening Screening of Award-winning Docs at 'Ama Utkarsha Odisha'- Official Selection & Screening South Asian Short Film Festival, Kolkata- Official Selection & Screening Educational Screening at Salisbury Public Library, Massachusetts for 'The North of Boston Weavers Guild' Ambacht in Beeld Film Festival, Amsterdam - Dutch Premiere Habitat Film Festival, New Delhi - Official Selection & Screening Educational Screening at Motivational Film Show by Govindalaya, Nabarangpur -Odisha Premiere 'Tourfilm Riga' - International Tourism Film Festival, Europe - Latvian Premiere Kala Samruddhi International Film Festival, Mumbai - Best Documentary Award Educational Screening at Golden Jubilee Convention by The Odisha Society of the Americas, New Jersey Docademia's 3rd Short Documentary Contest, Chicago - Official Selection & Screening Fashion Film Festival-Milano, Italy - Official Selection & Screening AageanDocs Festival-Athens, Greece - Official Selection & Screening OpenFrame Film Festival, Delhi - Official Selection & Screening Koraput Literary Festival, Koraput - Official Selection & Screening MoziMotion International Film Festival, Netherlands - Official Selection & Screening Odisha Hastatanta Carnival, Bhubaneswar - Official Selection & Screening Kotpad Exhibition, Bengaluru - Bengaluru Premiere Kosice International Monthly Film Festival, Slovakia - Official Selection & Screening of Trailer Prague International Monthly Film Festival, Prague - Official Selection & Screening of Trailer | Documentary |
| 2018 | Zero to One | Script & Direction | MoziMotion International Film Festival, Netherlands - Official Selection & Screening Aasha International Film Festival, Nashik - Official Selection & Screening | Documentary |
| 2018 | The Viral Film | Story, Script, Editing & Sound Mixing | African International SmartPhone Film Festival, Nigeria - World Premiere MoziMotion International Film Festival, Netherlands - Official Selection & Screening | Short Film |
| 2018 | ଶତ ପ୍ରତିଶତ Original : Episode 1 - ଆମ ଓଡିଆ ସିନିମା | Story, Script, Cinematography, Editing, Sound Mixing & Direction | The Lift-Off Sessions, UK - World Premiere Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Awards, Mumbai - Official Selection & Screening Vagdevi Lit Fest, Bhubaneswar - Official Selection & Screening Aasha International Film Festival, Nashik - Official Selection & Screening | Comedy Short Film |
| 2019 | WAR : Rescue. Release. Repeat | Research, Script, Cinematography, Editing & Direction | Talents International Film Festival, USA - World Premiere The Lift-Off Sessions, UK - World Premiere Kosice International Monthly Film Festival, Slovakia - Official Selection & Screening of Trailer Prague International Monthly Film Festival, Prague - Official Selection & Screening of Trailer | Documentary Web Series |
| 2019 | Desh Dosti Etc | Story, Script, Cinematography, Editing, Sound Mixing & Direction | The Lift-Off Sessions, UK - World Premiere | Short Film |
| 2019 | Subharambha | Publicity Partner | Great Message International Film Festival, Pune - Best Theme Award Mumbai Shorts International Film Festival, Mumbai - Best Music Video Award | Music Video |
| 2019 | Pehle Ungli | Story, Script, Cinematography, Editing, Sound Mixing & Direction | Social Ad-Film | |
| 2019 | Barshaa Bhijaa Raati | Script, Animation, Sound Effects & Direction | The Lift-Off Sessions, UK - World Premiere | Music Video |
| 2020 | Corona Warriors | Concept, Research, Editing, Sound Mixing & Direction | Social Talk Show | |
| 2020 | Ravaiyaa | Story, Script, Lyrics & Direction | Shorted Short Film Nominee - Official Selection & Screening | Short Film |