Malayalam film Level Cross has garnered significant recognition at the 16th Bangalore International Film Festival (BIFFes) 2025, securing the 2nd Best Indian Film award. This prestigious festival, organized by the Government of Karnataka, showcased a diverse range of films from across the country, making the competition in the Indian Cinema section particularly fierce. Level Cross, directed and written by Arfaz Ayub and produced by Ramesh P Pillai under the Abhishek Films banner, was presented by the acclaimed filmmaker Jeethu Joseph.

The film's screening at BIFFes was met with an overwhelmingly positive response, with a packed theatre and enthusiastic audience reception. Arfaz Ayub expressed his elation on his official Instagram handle, stating, "Dreams do come true! Over the moon with this moment! Level Cross has won the Second Best Indian Film Award in the Indian Cinema Competition (Chitrabharati) Section of BIFFes 2025!" He also extended heartfelt gratitude to the entire Level Cross team and everyone who supported their journey.

ETimes lauded Level Cross with a rating of 3.0 out of 5, noting that it "is not a conventional entertainer; it is a film that delves into psychological complexities." The review further highlighted the film's technical brilliance, praising Jayadevan Chakkadath’s sound design, Vishal Chandrashekar’s music, Liju Prabhakar’s coloring, Deepu Joseph’s editing, and Appu Prabhakar’s cinematography for creating a visually and aurally captivating experience. Notably, Level Cross was also the sole Malayalam film selected for both the Pune International Film Festival 2025 and the Guwahati Asian Film Festival 2025.

In related news, contemporary Bengali cinema has seen a resurgence, as evidenced by the recent nomination roster of FIPRESCI-India for Grand-Prix-2024. There has been a substantial increase in the number of Bengali motion pictures nominated, with 11 films making the list compared to just six the previous year. This marks the highest number of films from any Indian language on the list.

The Bengali films nominated include Sudeshna Roy and Abhijit Guha’s Aapish, Promita Bhowmik’s Ahana, Amitabha Chaterji’s Adim (‘Primitive), Samik Roy Choudhury’s Beline (‘Offtrack’), Pratim D Gupta’s Chaalchitro (‘The Frame Fatale'), Bratya Basu’s Hubba, Arka Mukhopadhyay’s Kalponik (‘Myth & Pieces’), Soumodeep Ghosh Chowdhury’s Silence of the Womb (‘No Maas No Din Ebong Antoheen’), Soumendu Bhattacherya’s The Broken Mirror, Indrani Chakrabarty’s The Terrace (‘Chhaad’), and Kumar Chowdhury’s This is Not Breaking News (‘Sob Khobor Bishesh Noy’). These films are competing with other notable works such as Payal Kapadia’s All We Imagine As Light, Shuchi Talati’s Girls Will Be Girls, Christo Tomy’s Undercurrent-Ullozhukku, and Rima Das’s Village Rockstars 2.

Premendra Mazumder, the general secretary of the India chapter of FIPRESCI, emphasized that this compilation refutes criticisms against Bengali cinema and demonstrates a resurgence in quality, with films gaining recognition at prestigious festivals worldwide. He noted that while the local film industry faces challenges leading to fewer productions, the quality has not declined, and many talented individuals are contributing to Bengali cinema. Mazumder cautioned against constant criticism, advocating for a more supportive environment.

Promita Bhowmik, whose film Ahana premiered at the 30th Kolkata International Film Festival, echoed this sentiment, stating that the significant representation of Bengali films on the nomination list speaks volumes about the calibre of their work. While Bengali films may not always reach Cannes and Berlin, they are securing good festival screenings, providing a counter-narrative to those who are dismissive of contemporary Bengali cinema.