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DreamWorks Animator Takes Home Top Honors at InSea

The 2nd Annual India and Southeast Asian (InSea) Animation Competition concluded with the announcement of this years winners - with top honors going to DreamWorks CGI supervisor Umesh Shukla. The competition, which took place as part of the 3rd Annual Week with the Masters, honors films created by Indian and Southeast Asian filmmakers. STILL I RISE, by Umesh Shukla, is the first film to ever be awarded both the Grand Prize and 1st Prize in the Category of Best Independent Production. Inspired by Joseph Merrick, known as "The Elephant Man," and artist Vincent Van Gogh, who both took their lives in the year 1890, STILL I RISE depicts Merricks dying dream visualized as an impressionist canvas. Shukla studied at the National Institute of Design in India, and has been living in the U.S. for the last ten years. The InSea Animation Competition and awards ceremony were the highlight of the 3rd Annual Week With The Masters, a week of discussions, screenings and festival events focusing on animation and culminating with the gala awards ceremony. The other awards presented were: First Prize, TV/Theatrical Commercial -- "Poga," by Cyrus Oshidar; and First Prize, Best Student Production -- CROSSINGS by Dann Yap Yeah Choong (The One Academy).