It was a birthday gift for Mrinal Sen as the eminent filmmaker, who turned 85 on Tuesday (May 13), was named as a recipient of Osian's lifetime achievement award. Sen and Filipino writer Jose "Pete" F Lacaba will be conferred with Osian's lifetime achievement awards in July for their contribution to cinema. The Osian's Lifetime Achievement Award for Contribution to Cinema will be awarded to Sen while the Aruna Vasudev Lifetime Achievement Award for Writing on Cinema will be conferred on Lacaba, it was announced today. The awards will be presented at the 10th anniversary of the Osian's Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema to be held here from July 10-20. "We are delighted to honour two eminent personalities from the world of cinema. Both have contributed in a seminal way to the seventh art and both have placed on their works an individual and creative stamp," said Latika Padgaonkar, joint festival director. In a career spanning almost five decades, Sen has directed films like "Neel Akasher Neechey", "Bhuvan Shome", "Ek Din Achanak", "Ek Din Pratidin" and "Mrigaya". He was born in 1923. Lacaba, who writes both in English and Filipino, has written screenplays of award-winning feature films like "Jaguar", "Bayan Ko: Kapit sa Patalim", "Orapronobis" and "Sister Stella L.". This year, Osian's has announced over Rs 1 crore in prize money for its competition sections and lifetime achievement awards. The winners of the Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented Rs 8 lakh each. ... read more »