Iranian film The Dark Room, by Rouhollah Hejazi, won the Golden Crow Pheasant award for Best International Film, while Lijo Jose Pellissery took home the Silver Pheasant for his film, Ee. Maa. Yau, at the closing ceremony of the 23rd International Film Festival of Kerala in Trivandrum. The awards were distributed by chief minister, Pinarayi Vijayan at the ceremony, held in the Nishagandhi auditorium.
Pellissery also won the NETPAC award for Best Asian Film in Competition. The Silver Crow Pheasant award for Best Debut Director went to Anamika Haksar for Ghode Ko Jalebi Khilane Le Ja Riya Hoon. The film also earned cinematographer Saumyananda Sahi a Special Jury Mention award. Another Special Jury Mention went to The Silence/Los Silencios by Beatriz Seigner. The award was collected by Maleyda Soto on behalf of Seigner.
Pellissery’s Ee. Maa. Yau was a popular winner at the festival, and also won the Audience poll award with the most number of votes from registered delegates at the festival. Among the Malayalam films screened at the festival, Zakariya’s Sudani From Nigeria took home the FIPRESCI award for Best Malayalam Film.
Amitabha Chatterjee’s Ami O Manohar (Manohar and I) won him the FFSI KR Mohanan Endowment award for Best Debut Director from India, while Vinu Kolichal received a special jury mention for Bilathikuzhal.
Chief minister Vijayan inaugurated the closing ceremony held at Nishagandhi auditorium. AK Balan, minister for welfare of scheduled castes, scheduled tribes and backward classes, law, culture and parliamentary affairs, presided over the ceremony.
VS Sunil Kumar, minister for agriculture will be the chief guest. AK Balan distributed the Media awards. VS Sivakumar MLA; Kamal, chairman of Kerala State Chalachitra Academy; Bina Paul, vice chairperson of Kerala State Chalachitra Academy; Mahesh Panju, secretary of Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, participated.
Following the ceremony, the winner of the award for the Best Film in International Competition, The Dark Room, was screened.
14 films from Asia, Africa, and Latin America were in the International Competition of the fete.
A total of 36 films were screened on the final day of the 23rd edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK).
The event was also attended by Rani George, IAS; VS Sunil Kumar, minister for agriculture, V Majid Majidi, chairperson, International Competition Jury; Meghachandra Kongbam, FIPRESCI jury member; Sunilt Tandon, NETPAC jury member; Kumar Shahani, chaiperson, FFSI KR Mohanan Endowment; S Sivakumar MLA and M Vijayakumar, chairman, KTDC.