Thiruvananthapuram: Iranian movie ‘Dark Room‘, which revolves around the efforts of the parents of a boy to identify the abusers of their child, Thursday bagged the ‘Suvarna Chakoram‘ (The Golden Crow Pheasant) award in the 23rd edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala.
Malayalam Director Lijo Jose Pellissery has been awarded the ‘Rajatha Chakoram‘ (The Silver Crow Pheasant), for the best director for his movie ‘Ee.Ma.Yau‘.
The Silver Crow Pheasant award for the best debut director went to Anamika Haksar for the movie ‘Taking the horse to eat jalebis.’ Directed by Rouhollah Hejazi, ‘i’ will get a cash prize of Rs 15 lakh, which will be shared with the producer.
Pellissery’s ‘Ee.Ma. Yau‘ narrates the difficulties faced by a son for fulfilling his father’s last wish – a grand burial. The award carries a prize amount of Rs 4 lakh. Pellissery had bagged the best director award in the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) at Goa, for the same movie, which also saw actor Chemban Vinod taking home the best actor (male) award.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, who handed over the awards, said the festival will help progressive thinkers to resist forces which were trying to drag the state centuries back. He praised the signature film of the IFFK, which depicted the togetherness in the efforts of the flood-hit state to rise from the ravaging floods.
“The youth came together to make this festival a grand success. During the hartal on 11 December, the youngsters arranged free food for the delegates. Flood-ravaged Kerala rests its hope on the shoulders of these youngsters,” Vijayan said.
The seven-day-long festival, organised by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, began on 7 December and has screened over 190 movies from around the world at various movie houses across Thiruvananthapuram.
With limited funds and lack of government funding due to the August deluge, the Academy had decided to raise the delegate fees to Rs 2,000. The festival this year was a low-key event, sans any cultural performances, unlike previous years.