Kolkata, March 30 (IANS) Colorado-based India born animation and laser artist Manick Sorcar beat 99 contenders worldwide to bag the prestigious International Laser Display Association (ILDA) 2007 Artistic Award for his entry 'Reflection' in the category for best laser photography.

ILDA's awards for artistic and technical excellence is the industry's equivalent of Hollywood's Oscars and the organisers each year honour companies from around the world for artistic and technological achievement.

'I am extremely happy having made (it) for the second time,' Manick, son of legendary Indian magician late P.C. Sorcar, told IANS Sunday from Denver, the capital of Colorado state in the US.

On March 27, the ILDA officially announced a list of the 2007 artistic award winners in their annual international laser display competition. Manick's company LaserLight Magic won the ILDA 2007 Artistic-Award for their entry 'Reflection'.

'Reflection is a scene from my forthcoming stage production. This was also my first entry in laser photography category,' said Manick, who shot into fame in the early 1990s for his first animation mixed with live action 'Deepa & Rupa: A Fairy Tale From India', which won the Gold Plaque at the Chicago International Film Festival.

Manick, an engineer by profession, is the first Indian-American to receive the prestigious ILDA Artistic-award twice.

There were a total of 100 entries from 21 companies from around the world. The international panel of judges unanimously selected Manick Sorcar's 'Reflection' for the first place. The second place went to Laser Entertainment Srl of Italy, and third to Lightwave International of the US.

The trophy will be handed to Manick Sep 10 at the 2008 ILDA Conference and Gala Award Ceremony on board the Carnival Imagination, cruising the Eastern Caribbean Sep 8-13.

Earlier, Manick received an ILDA Artistic Award for his 'Enlightenment of Buddha', which won the ILDA 2005 Artistic Award at Rimini, Italy. In 2004 his 'Dancing with My Soul' was a finalist for ILDA Artistic Award - both of those were for best use of laser on stage with live action.

'Enlightenment of Buddha' was an extravaganza of dance, drama, magic in combination with various forms of intelligent lighting, life-size laser-animation and three dimensional laser effects in space.

His other films, also based on fables from India, received recognition by winning a series of prestigious awards at various international film festivals.

Recognised as cultural bridges between the East and West, his animation films are popular at the elementary schools as well as at the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) TV stations, where they have been telecast on New Year's Day in Colorado for the last 14 years in a row.

Manick is the author of several lighting design texts that are taught at universities and has a full-time job as the CEO and president of Sorcar Engineering Inc, which did the lighting designs for Denver International Airport, sport centres in Japan, Colorado Convention Center, and palaces for Saudi princes.

By night, he is an artist and animator.