Downingtown filmmaker wins $1M prize for 'Land of Gold' at Tribeca Film Festival

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- A Downington filmmaker is celebrating a massive win at the Tribeca Film Festival.

Nardeep Khurmi just won a $1 million prize and mentorship to develop his pitch into a full-length feature film called "Land of Gold."

"It's wild," said Khurmi. "Never in my wildest dreams would that I think something like this would happen in front of millions of people on YouTube with people watching you get the green light for your first film. It's kind of perfect. It's kind of a fairy tale come true."

Khurmi is the fourth filmmaker to win the 'AT&T. Presents: Untold Stories' prize.

"Land of Gold" finds a Punjabi trucker helping a young undocumented girl during a cross-country trip.

"Representation matters," said Khurmi. "For me, as a South Asian American filmmaker, I think I have a responsibility with the platform. I have to really push narratives forward."

Amazingly, Khurmi wrote this during the pandemic.

"Land of Gold" gets a guaranteed slot at the 2022 Tribeca Festival and will also stream on HBO Max.

You can also watch all of the Tribeca Film Festival films and moments for the first time at home with the new Tribeca at Home pass.