NEW DELHI: Nagesh Kukunoor’s ‘Lakshmi’ about a girl’s struggle for survival has won the Outstanding International Feature award at the Reel World Film Festival in Toronto.

Sushrut Jain’s ‘Beyond All Boundaries’ took the award for Outstanding Documentary.

Lakshmi is the story of a 13 year old girl’s struggle to survive after being kidnapped and sold for prostitution. The film was released in India in March, this year.

According to the Jury, the film is “… a harrowing, uplifting and brave portrayal of a young girl sold into prostitution and what she endures. Its unflinching depiction of the reality of human trafficking was matched by an astonishing performance by Monali Thakur as the title character and writer-director and supporting actor Nagesh Kukunoor, who both led a note-perfect cast in ‘Lakshmi’.”

Jain’s ‘Beyond All Boundaries’ captures the relationship India has with the game of cricket while telling the stories of three individuals. “This film was chosen by a unanimous juror decision.  The plot uniquely tells the story not only of three lives, but also of India’s relationship with cricket. The stories of each of the characters were in their own right interesting, while the interweaving of each of the tales added a complexity to the overarching narrative,” the jury noted.

Started in 2001, Reel World Film Festival screens features, documentaries, shorts and music videos.