Persian Film Endless Borders bags Golden Peacock for the Best Film
The Persian film Endless Borders directed by Abbas Amini received the Golden Peacock award for the Best Film at the 54th IFFI. The film depicts that the emotional and moral borders that you impose upon yourself can be more complicated than the physical borders, observed the jury.
Bulgarian Director Stephan Komandarev gets Silver Peacock for Best Director
Bulgarian Director Stephan Komandarev is honoured with Silver Peacock for Best Director for his film Blaga’s Lessons. Stephan Komandarev tells a powerful and shocking lesson through the character of a woman who has to decide to achieve her goals and in doing so compromise her values, reads the Jury’s citation. Eli Skorcheva and Rozalya Abgaryan actresses of Blaga’s Lessons received the award on behalf of Stephan Komandarev. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Turkish Director Nury Ceylan, Australian Film Producer Helen Leake and Film Actress Esha Gupta presented the coveted prize.
Pouria Rahimi Sam bestowed with Silver Peacock Award for Best Actor (Male)
Iranian Actor Pouria Rahimi Sam has been chosen as the Best Actor for his role in the Persian film Endless Borders, directed by Abbas Amini. The Jury has chosen the actor “for the richness of acting and interacting with his partners, children and adults in challenging shooting conditions.”
Melanie Thierry bags Silver Peacock for Best Actor (Female)
French actress, Melanie Thierry is honoured with Silver Peacock for Best Actor (Female) for her exemplary role in the film Party of Fools. The jury remarked that the range of expressions by the actress gives audience with subtlety all the emotions from hope to despair, encountered in her character’s crazy journey. Juliette Grandmont of Institut Francais received the award from Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Film Producer Jerome Paillard and Playback singer and film score composer Hariharan on behalf of Melanie Thierry.
Indian Filmmaker Rishabh Shetty bags The Special Jury Award
Indian Filmmaker Rishabh Shetty has bagged The Special Jury Award for his critically acclaimed film Kantara. The Jury praised the director’s ability to put across a very important story. “The film, though rooted in its own culture of the forest demons, reaches out to audiences regardless of culture and social status,” the jury cited. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, Spanish Cinematographer José Luis Alcaine and French film Producer & IFFI Jury member Catherine Dussart presented the award.
Reger Azad Kaya, a promising filmmaker from Syrian Arab Republic, has received the Award for Best Debut Feature Film of a Director for his film When the Seedlings Grow. The jury cited that the film narrates a tale which succeeds in showing us a day in the life of a father, daughter and a lost boy through a succession of small events.
French, British and Greek co-production Drift directed by Anthony Chen received the prestigious ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal. The film which portrays how drifting through life’s uncertainties can lead to unexpected bonds draws the lines of hope and resilience observed the selection Jury.
Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award presented to Hollywood actor/producer Michael Douglas.
Michael Douglas received the prestigious Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award at the closing ceremony.The iconic actor added that cinema has the power to unite and transform the people with cross cultural artistic expressions. Highlighting that global language of cinema is global than ever, the two time Oscar winning actor said that the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) is a reminder of magic of movie making and cross cultural artistic expressions, transcending time, language and geographies. Douglas expressed his admiration for the Indian Cinema, saying RRR, Om Shanti Om and Lunch Box are some of his favorite Indian films. Catherine Zeta Jones, an eminent actress and the wife of Michael Douglas, was also felicitated. Catherine said it was heartwarming to see the generosity and hospitality they received in India.
Best Web Series (OTT) Award to Panchayat Season 2
Panchayat Season 2, directed by Deepak Kumar Mishra received the newly introduced award for the Best Web series (OTT). The series chronicles the life of an engineering graduate who joins as a Panchayat secretary in a remote fictional village of Phulera of Uttar Pradesh due to lack of better job options.
Director of the series Deepak Kumar Mishra, Producer of the series & President of The Viral Fever Tvf Vijay Koshy and Director, Content Licensing, Prime Video Manish Menghani received the award from Goa Chief Minister. Rocket Boys Season 1 directed by Abhay Pannu received special mention in this category.
Delivering a video message at the closing ceremony, Union Minister for Information & Broadcasting, Sports & Youth Affairs Anurag Singh Thakur said that the 54th edition of International film festival of India (IFFI 54) was a celebration of unity in diversity, embodying the spirit of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam: One Earth, One Family One Future’, bringing together creative minds, filmmakers, cinema lovers, and cultural enthusiasts from across the globe.
Congratulating the efforts of National Film Heritage Mission to restore old classics, he said that over 5,000 films and documentaries of multiple languages in the 4K digital format will be restored ensuring that the future generations of Bharat can appreciate, enjoy and be inspired by these great works.
