Argentinean film Refugiado directed by Diego Lerman, a drama on a mother and her young son fleeing from domestic violence, won the Suvarna Chakoram for the Best Feature Film at the 19th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK).
Japanese director Hiroshi Toda won the Rajatha Chakoram for the Best Director for the film Summer, Kyoto and Iranian director Hossein Shahabi won the Rajatha Chakoram for the best debut film for The Bright Day .
Kerala Governor P. Sathasivam presented the awards at the closing ceremony of the festival held at the Nishagandhi Auditorium on Friday evening.
Minister for Cinema Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan presided over the function in which Turkish auteur Nuri Bilge Ceylan was the chief guest.
Critics’ awardMalayalam film Unto the Dusk, directed by Sajin Babu, won the audience award for the best film at the festival. They Are the Dogs , a Moroccan film directed by Hicham Lasri won the best competition movie award instituted by the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) while the FIPRESCI award for the best Malayalam movie went to Oralpokkam directed by Sanal Kumar Sasidharan.
Sanal’s film also won the Network for Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) award for the best Malayalam film.
Best Asian filmSummer, Kyoto won the NETPAC award for the Best Asian film and Oblivion Season directed by Abbas Rafei won a special mention.
A three-member jury also selected four Malayalam films for promotion and support at the national and international level – Zahir , directed by Siddhartha Siva, Crime No.89 directed by P.P. Sudevan, Kanyaka Talkies directed by K.R. Manoj, and Unto the Dusk directed by Sajin Babu. New Theatre won the award for the best theatre and Kalabhavan won the award for the best theatre aesthetics.
K. Sajeev of Mathrubhumi and Sreeharshan of Kerala Kaumudi won the best reporting awards in print media. Jisha K. Raj of Jai Hind channel won the award for the best television reporting.
