Samundra and Kunjo win first “Justice” Award at Angelus

Terrie Samundra

Full Circle Exchange is proud to announce that Terrie Samundra and her film Kunjo, is the inaugural winner of the “Wake Up to Justice Award” at the Angelus Student Film Festival.  The award honors the film  that best illuminates global social justice issues through the art of storytelling and cinematic excellence.

“It is such an honor to be receiving this award! I love the vision of it and everything it stands for,” said the writer/director. “Thank you so much for loving the film and seeing the truth of Kunjo.”

Kunjo, a 12-year-old Rajasthani refugee spends her days begging in the streets of a rural Punjab village in North India. When an unlikely friendship blossoms between Kunjo and Preeta, an educated schoolgirl from a higher caste, Kunjo reveals her secret passion for storytelling. Betrayed by her new friend, and caught in the complexity of an unconventional friendship, Kunjo faces a crossroads between standing up for herself or submitting to her place of silence in society. For more on Kunjo visit kunjothefilm.com/home.

"Kunjo"

Terrie Samundra is a California based filmmaker and producer. She is a 2009 Princess Grace Award recipient and holds an MFA in Cinema from San Francisco State University. Kunjo was awarded a National Geographic All Roads Seed Grant in pre-production and also won the Audience Award for Best Short Film at the 2010 Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles. In making the film with the community in Sheikupur, India, Terrie has fulfilled one of her life’s goals. Working in the collaborative model, she has strived not only to create a beautiful, powerful film, but to have a positive impact on the community and the street children. Terrie was raised in a multi-cultural household, growing up in a rural village in India, a small farming town in Missouri, and along the coast of California. Her experience growing up as a multi-racial child with an immigrant mother informs her work, which revolves around community, in particular multi-cultural issues, gender inequality and children.

Congratulations from Full Circle Exchange to Terrie Samundra and to the Angelus Student Film Festival for 15 Years of Excellence!