Utama, Alejandro Loayza Grisi’s artistic statement of the global climate crisis, won the Golden Crow Pheasant (Suvarna Chakoram) for the Best Film at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) here on Friday. The film highlights the struggle of an elderly couple and their grandson in the Bolivian highlands to overcome an uncommonly long drought.
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The film’s producer Santiago Loayza Grisi, the filmmaker’s brother, received the award which carries a cash prize of ₹20 lakh, a memento and a certificate from Minister for Cultural Affairs V.N. Vasavan at the closing ceremony held at the Nishagandhi auditorium. Tayfun Pirselimoglu won the Silver Crow Pheasant (Rajatha Chakoram) award for the Best Director.
Lijo Jose Pellissery’s Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam won the Rajatha Chakoram award through an audience poll. Alam, Firas Khouri’s coming-of-age drama that points out the unsubtle mechanisms of nationalism, won the Rajatha Chakoram for Best Debut and the Network for Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) award for the Best Asian Film. Manisha Soni and Muskan, the lead actors of A Place of Our Own, won special mention for their performance.
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Minister for Culture V.N. Vasavan presenting the Lifetime Acheievement Award to Hungarian film maker Bela Tarr during the valedictory of the 27th IFFK in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday as Minister for Education V. Sivankutty looks on. | Photo Credit: S MAHINSHA
Manipuri filmmaker Romi Meitei’s Our Home won the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) Award for Best International Film and a special mention for the NETPAC award. 19 1(a), directed by Indhu V.S., won the FIPRESCI Award for the Best Malayalam Film. Ariyippu directed by Mahesh Narayanan won the NETPAC award for the best Malayalam film.
Siddharth Chauhan won the Federation of Film Societies of India’s K.R. Mohanan Award for Best Debut Director from India for Amar Colony. Ektara collective won a special mention for A Place of Our Own. IFFK artistic director Deepika Suseelan announced the awards.
Mr. Vasavan presented the IFFK Lifetime Achievement Award to Hungarian master Bela Tarr. In his acceptance speech, he said that he was deeply moved and touched by the audience’s appreciation.
“We belong to different continents, countries and cultures. We have millions of differences between us. But when I see you, I have a feeling that we have a beautiful common language, that of the motion picture. We have to protect our movies for the young generation, and understand and accept each other,” he said.
Writer M. Mukundan, the chief guest, said that people have to unitedly raise a wall of resistance to protect freedom of expression. General Education Minister V. Sivankutty presided over the function.