About the author:
Rupantar has been the race director of the Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team since 1985, having been asked by Sri Chinmoy to serve in that capacity. As well as working on the big races the US Marathon Team organise each year - the 3100 Mile Race and the Six and 10 Day Race - he also spends a considerable amount of time archiving the Marathon Team's 40 year history on this website.
The following story is from Sopan (Tzvetan Tzekov):
On June 16th and 17th Sanjay Rawal’s film, 3100: Run and Become, was entered in the prestigious 18th International Festival of Red Cross and Health Films, held in Varna, Bulgaria.
The motto of the festival is: "By humanism to peace and friendship" and it is held every two years. The Bulgarian Red Cross is the main organizer of the forum. The festival has a growing importance as a powerful tool for the dissemination of humanitarian and cultural values through cinema. The Vice President of Bulgaria is its patron and, this year, she was at the opening of the festival.
Sanjay’s film was one of 59 films to be selected out of 3200 films to participate in the festival!!!
The director of film critics in Bulgaria, Mr. Manov, mentioned our film on national TV as one of 2 special films that he would recommend. He used to be the director of European film critics.
Sanjay came all the way from NY for the evening of the festival when the film was shown. Before the showing, I was interviewed by the national radio station and we met with Mr. Manov. Later, Mr. Manov introduced Sanjay and me (Sopan) on-stage and a Q&A with us after the film.
Sanjay left the following morning for NY but a few members of The Sri Chinmoy Marathon Team stayed for the awards ceremony in case the film won a prize. Sanjay won the Best Director Award of the whole festival for 3100: Run and Become!!! At the awards ceremony were the mayor of Varna, Red Cross Representatives from a few neighboring countries and film directors from Turkey, Serbia, New Zealand and Bulgaria. The jury that selected the award was also international.
They also showed another film by Sanjay, Challenging Impossibility, at the City Hall in Varna but not as part of the competition.
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