Malayalam film Victoria, directed by Sivaranjini J, has been selected for the Discovery Competition at the 27th Seoul International Women’s Film Festival (SIWFF), to be held from August 21 to 27. The Discovery section is a competitive category for first or second feature-length works by directors. The other titles competing in the section include Fury by Gemma Blasco, Fwends by Sophie Somerville, Little Trouble Girls by Urška Djukić, An Oscillating Shadow by Celeste Rojas Mugica, Rainy Blue by Yanagi Asuna, Toxic by Saulė Bliuvaitė and Where In The Hell by Laramie Dennis.
The Seoul International Women’s Film Festival, launched in 1997 under the slogan “See the World Through Women’s Eyes”, is regarded as the world’s largest international women’s film festival. It has played a central role in building a women’s film network across Asia and beyond, discovering Asian women filmmakers, supporting women’s film projects and promoting women’s culture through cinema.
Produced by the Kerala State Film Development Corporation under its Women Empowerment Grant, Victoria follows a day in the life of a young beautician from Angamaly who plans to elope with her Hindu boyfriend against the wishes of her Catholic parents. Her plans are disrupted by the arrival of a rooster, intended for a church festival, prompting a series of personal and spiritual reckonings. The film unfolds almost entirely inside a beauty parlour, with an all-women ensemble cast.
Victoria premiered at the 29th International Film Festival of Kerala in 2024, where it won Sivaranjini the FIPRESCI Award for Best Malayalam Film by a Debut Director. Later, earlier this year, the film went on to be the only Indian selection at the 27th Shanghai International Film Festival, where lead actor Meenakshi Jayan won the Best Actress award in the Asian New Talent category. It also earned her the Best Performer award at the Independent and Experimental Film Festival Kerala.