KATHMANDU, Nov 22: 'Co-Husband', an award winning documentary film about polyandry in Nepal, has won the best short film award in Canada with a cash prize.

The Co-Husband won the best short film award with US $300 at the 36-year-old prestigious Society of Visual Anthropology Film and Media Festival held in Toronto, Canada, from November 15 to 19. 

At the award ceremony held on Saturday at the Toronto Metro Convention Center, the film festival's co-directors, University of Southern California Associate Professor Jennifer Cool and University of Colorado Boulder Associate Professor Christian Hammons, handed over the award to Co-Husband Director Ganesh Panday and Producer Sharda Gaire. Bishwambhar Ghimire, President of Overseas Nepali Forum Canada, also participated in the award ceremony. 

The American Anthropological Association (AAA) and the Canadian Anthropology Society (CSACA) have been holding a film and media festival along with an international conference every year for 36 years. With the participation of 5,000 anthropologists from different countries of the world, including America and Canada, a conference as well as a film and media festival is being held at the Toronto Convention Center this year. In the festival, the best award was given to the lively documentary film Co-Husband made in the special culture of Nepal, which was judged to be the best in the competition of thousands of films and documentaries related to anthropology and sociology from around the world.

“I am very happy and proud to receive the award from the distinguished professors and anthropologists of the world. It is a matter of pride for a documentary film made in Nepal to win a competition among documentaries from different countries. Moreover, I am very happy to know that a co-husband will be used as a reference material on campuses and universities in America and Canada. 

Director Panday said that he is proud to announce this as an excellent reference material, which provides a golden opportunity for various universities studying anthropology. The Co-Husband has already won awards at prestigious film festivals around the world. This 35-minute documentary film based on polyandry was shot in Humla, Karnali region of Nepal. 

As many brothers as there are in the house, the unique custom of marrying one wife is still existing in the Himalayan districts, including Humla. Director Panday brought the same topic to the screen for the first time.

Director Panday produced Co-Husband after about 4 years of filming and research. The writing of this documentary, produced by Shine Media Private Limited, was directed by Panday himself. It is produced by Sharda Gaire, chief assistant director and visual editor Ishwor Koirala and assistant director Nripraj Hamal. Similarly, Chandman Dangol and Abinash Lama captured this documentary. The music was composed by composer Joogle Dangol.

Even before this, Director Panday's documentary film 'Bhagyale Bahekaharu' (Nepal Earthquake: Heroes, Survivors and Miracles) also won one and a half dozen international awards.