‘Gariwala’ (The Cart Driver), directed by young filmmaker Shishir Ashraf, has won seven awards recently at the Summer Slam International Film Festival in Texas, USA. The film won the jury awards in the categories of Best Foreign Feature and Best Family Feature awards. For her brilliant acting, Rokeya Prachi won the Jury Award for Best Dramatic Actress Award, while Shohag Chowdhury won the Best Cinematography award. Besides, director Ashraf Shishir won the Best Screenplay (Foreign Feature) and Best Director (Foreign Feature) awards and also the Audience Choice Award for Best Screenplay in the festival.
The film features a story of the indomitable dream of two young brothers, Habil and Kabil. Their mother works at a rice mill despite severe illness, while the father is a rickshaw-puller, who has been missing for 2 years. They wander about the village all day and even with their mother’s disagreement, race ‘bearing cars’ in the field; but they do not own such a car. One day, they sell water lilies to buy old bearings, make their own car and win the race. In the city, Habil discovers their father with his new family. One stormy night, they find their mother half-dead and rush her to the hospital in the forbidden car. Fearing their increased suffering, Habil keeps father’s reality a secret.
The film stars Rokeya Prachi, Raisul Islam Asad, Masud Aziz, Imran, Saki Farzana and others. To note, the film won the ‘Best Film’ award in ‘Nez International Film Festival’ (NIFF) in Kolkata, while Rokeya Prachi was awarded in the category of ‘Best Co-actor’ award, and the child artiste Sheikh Maruf received the ‘Best Child actor’ award. Recently, director Ashraf Shishir won the title of ‘Best Director of Feature Film’, while Kabbo and Shaikh Maruf were nominated for ‘Best Young Artist’ category in ‘CineRockom International Film Festival’ (CIFF), which was held at Beverly Hills Plaza Hotel, California in USA. Earlier, the film ‘Gariwala’ won ‘Narrative Feature, Honourable Mention’ award at the seventh Trenton Film Festival-2015, ‘Best Film’ award at a three-day long film festival titled ‘The Gulf of Naples Independent Film Festival’of Italy on May this year and at the International Film Festival of Rajasthan 2014 at the beginning of this year. On the other hand, the film grabbed three best awards in three categories—best screenplay, best supporting role and best child role—in North Carolina World Film Festival.
Till now, the film participated in a total number 53 international film festival of 18 countries including ‘Davis International Film Festival’ and ‘Efferson State Flixx Festival’ in California, ‘Summer Slam Film Festival’ in Texas, USA, ‘The Gulf of Naples Independent Film Festival’ of Italy, ‘Angkor Wat International Film Festival 2015’ and ‘Rafi Peer International Film Festival 2014’ (RPIFF)’ in Lahore, ‘4th Athens International Digital Film Festival’ (AIDFF) in 2014 in Greece.  l