Egyptian film Clash , directed by Mohamed Diab, was the big winner at the 21st International Film Festival of Kerala, taking home the Suvarna Chakoram for the Best Film and Rajatha Chakoram for the Best Film chosen by the audience.
The film, set entirely inside a police truck full of detained demonstrators of divergent political and religious backgrounds, chronicled the violence that gripped Egypt, two years after the Arab Spring. The award carries a cash prize of Rs.15 lakh and citation.
Turkish film-maker Yesim Ustaoglu won the Rajatha Chakoram for Best Director for Clair Obscur . The award carries a cash prize of Rs.4 lakh.
For Malayalam
Malayalam film Manhole , the directorial debut of Vidhu Vincent, was the other big winner of the night, winning the Rajatha Chakoram for Best Debut and the FIPRESCI award for the Best Malayalam Film. The film highlighted the plight of manhole workers, whose work is unacknowledged by the government.
Mexican film Warehoused , directed by Jack Zagha, won the FIPRESCI award for the Best International Film.
Turkish film Cold of Kalandar directed by Mustafa Kara won the NETPAC award for Best Asian Film. Kammattipadam directed by Rajeev Ravi was chosen for the NETPAC award for the Best Malayalam Film.
Special Mention
Philippino actor Paolo Ballesteros got the FIPRESCI jury’s Special Mention for his performance as a transgender woman in Die Beautiful .
Turkish actor Ezim Uzun also won the Special Mention for Clair Obscur . Aravind Sasi from Metro Vartha won the award for Best Reporting in print media and Greeshma S. Nair won the award for Best Reporting in television.
Sreepadmanabha Theatre won the award for the Best Theatre in the technical excellence category. Kairali Theatre won the award for the theatre with the best facilities.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan presented the awards to the winners.
‘Cultural globalisation’
He said that IFFK could be considered an example of cultural globalisation different from the globalisation put forward by capitalism. “It is not a globalisation of exclusion, but that of inclusion,” the Chief Minister said.
