The Japan Foundation Asia Center and the 29th Tokyo International Film Festival announced the winner of the Spirit of Asia Award on November 3. The winner was chosen from the directors of the Asian Future section, which is considered to be a gateway to success for Asian promising directors.

The winner: Alankrita Shrivastava

Born in Mumbai, India, Alankrita Shrivastava is a feature film director with a penchant for telling women's stories. She likes to explore the complex interior world of women through her films.

The directorial film presented at TIFF：
Lipstick Under My Burkha (2016/India)

An innovative film depicting the secret acts of rebellion committed by four Indian women, including an oppressed housewife and a burkha-clad college girl.

Messages from the winner and the jury of The Spirit of Asia Award

I really believe that the Spirit of Asia is the spirit to build peace across different countries in Asia regardless of the differences, and I really feel that the women of Asia particularly should come together to build a more peaceful Asia and even to the world.
- Alankrita Shrivastava (Director)

For its daring blend of comedy and serious drama, dream and reality, and truth or dare; Lipstick Under My Burkha's stylistic duality mirrors the doubles lives that the female characters are forced to lead. In the process, the film challenges us to enjoy the pain and suffer the joy.
- Philip Cheah (Film Critic)