Actress Radhika Apte's first film as a director, the short film "The Sleepwalkers", has been declared 'The Best Midnight Short Award' at Palms Spring International Short Fest that was held online this year.

Radhika Apte
Radhika Apte's film bags an award.PR Handout

"Thank you!! @psfilmfest we are so thrilled to have won the Best Midnight Short at the Palm Spring Festival !!! #Repost @psfilmfest with @get_repost··· The winner of the Best Midnight Short Award is.... "The Sleepwalkers"! Congratulations!," she posted on her social media.

In a recent interview with IANS, Radhika said: "I enjoyed the process (of direction) a lot. I am excited because, hopefully, people can watch it soon. I hope I get to do more work as a director, maybe, let's see!"

The short film, starring Shahana Goswami and Gulshan Devaiah, has been written and directed by Radhika, and is centred on the subject of sleepwalking.

Radhika Apte
Radhika ApteInstagram

On why she took up such a subject, she had said: "What the film is about does not really come across in the trailer, so I can't really give it away. I started diving last year and that's where I got the idea."