THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: ‘Ottal,’ director Jayaraj’s poignant re-telling of Anton Chekov’s short story on childhood and child labour, swept the 20th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK)award ceremony, winning the Suvarna Chakoram (Golden Crow Pheasant) for best film, the FIPRESCI award for best film and the NETPAC award for best Malayalam film. This is the first time a Malayalam film is bagging the Suvarna Chakoram.
The award carries a cash prize of `15 lakh, a certificate and a memento.
Set in scenic Kuttanad and a recipient of national and state awards, ‘Ottal’ (The Trap) also rode away with the Audience Prize Rajata Chakoram.
Kumarakom Vasudevan, who portrayed the grandfather in the film and Ashanth K Shah, the young protagonist, won special mentions for their performance.
The Rajata Chakoram (Silver Crow Pheasant) for best director went to Jun Robles Lana of the Philippines for ‘Shadow Behind the Moon’, a gripping narration of an interaction between a soldier and two refugees.
Abu Shaheed Emon, director, ‘Jalal’s Story’, won the Rajata Chakoram for the best debut director. The FIPRESCI (The International Federation of Film Critics) jury adjudged Sanal Kumar Sasidharan’s ‘Ozhivudivasathe Kali’ as the best Malayalam film. Israeli director Nir Bergman’s film ‘Yona’ won NETPAC (Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema) Award for best Asian film. The film is about the poet Yona Wallach. Giving away the awards, Governor P Sathasivam said the IFFK has emerged the second best in Asia in terms of participation. The films screened at IFFK displayed the socio-political and cultural diversities of the world we live in. It offered film buffs a unique opportunity to ‘get exposed’ to films from across the globe, he said. Iranian director Dariush Mehrjui, one of the founders of Iranian new wave of the sixties, was honoured with a lifetime achievement award. He reacted by calling Kerala ‘the most intelligent state in India.’
Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan, who said that the IFFK has come of age, urged the state government to keep its promise of a permanent mechanism for marketing Malayalam films worldwide. The government should also implement the recommendations of the Adoor Gopalakrishnan Committee in full to improve the IFFK, he said. Cinema Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said 14,000 delegates attended the 20th edition. The 21st IFFK would be the biggest film festival in the country. By the 25th edition, the festival would be able to accommodate 25,000 delegates, he said.
The festival featured nearly 180 films from 70 countries. Films were screened at 13 venues, including the renovated Tagore Theatre.
Tagore Theatre won the best theatre award. N P Muraleekrishnan of ‘Mathrubhumi’ won the award for best reporting in print media while Lakshmi Padma of ‘Asianet News’ won the award in the visual media category. Kovalam Satheesh Kumar of the ‘Kerala Kaumudi’ won the special jury award and ‘Doordarshan’ reporter Sam Kadamanitta won special mention. ‘Manorama Online’ won the award for online media and All India Radio and Club FM shared the FM award. Film maker and chairman of the IFFK Advisory Committee Shaji N Karun, Cultural Affairs Secretary Rani George, Kerala Chalachitra Akademi chairman T Rajeev Nath and secretary S Rajendran Nair were present. ‘Ottal’ was screened at the Nishagandhi Theatre after the ceremony.