‘Wajib’ wins Golden Crow Pheasant

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Palestinian film ‘Wajib’, which unravels the complexities of the life of an estranged school teacher father and his architect son who does not want to work and live in a society of closed minds, bagged the coveted Golden Crow Pheasant Award at the 22nd edition of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). Director and screenplay writer Annemarie Jacir received the award, which includes a cash prize of Rs 15 lakh, from Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac at Nishagandhi Auditorium on Friday.

Presenting the award to ‘Wajib’, the jury wished to reward “the profoundly subtle ways in which the director, through the intimacy of family conflicts, hopes and regrets, succeeds in painting a compelling portrait of contemporary Palestinian society as it copes with its Israeli neighbours in a highly volatile political space”.

The jury was headed by Italian film producer Marco Muller. Anucha Boonyawatana, the maker of ‘Malila - The Farewell Flower’, bagged the Silver Crow Pheasant Award for the best director, which carries a cash prize of Rs 4 lakh. The jury was impressed by “the seamless way in which the Thai director merged the physical and metaphysical quest of her characters, producing a film at once powerfully sensuous, yet also deeply meditative”.

Malayali director Sanju Surendran bagged the Rajatha Chakoram Award for best debut director for his film ‘Aedan: Garden of Desire’. By unanimous decision, the jury made a Special Mention about the film ‘Candelaria’, directed by Johnny Hendrix from Colombia.

‘Newton’ won the FIPRESCI and NETPAC awards. In the citation, the jury observed that Amit Masurkar’s stunningly filmed drama looks at the complexities of the democratic process with humour and acuity.

Russian filmmaker Alexander Sukorov was presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
At the festival, 190 films from 65 countries showcased the lives of people who had been stripped of their land, desires and dreams.

Presiding over the function, Culture Minister A K Balan revealed the government was planning to complete the construction of a film festival complex by 2019 in time for the 25th edition of IFFK. The facility will come up at a 10-acre plot at Chitranjali Studio Complex along with the Film City project, the minister said. Chalachitra Academy chairman Kamal, Mayor V K Prasanth, KTDC chairman M Vijayakumar, district panchayat president P K Madhu, Beena Paul, academy secretary Mahesh Panju and spoke.

Awards
Anucha Boonyawatana, the maker of ‘Malila - The Farewell Flower’, bagged the Silver Crow Pheasant Award for the best director
Malayali director Sanju Surendran bagged the Rajatha Chakoram Award for best debut director for his film ‘Aedan: Garden of Desire’
The jury made a Special Mention about the film ‘Candelaria’, directed by Johnny Hendrix from Colombia

Audience poll award
Meanwhile, Algerian director Rayhana Obermeyer’s ‘I Still Hide to Smoke’ won the audience poll award at IFFK. Receiving the award, Reyhana said that she was dedicating the award to women all over the world.

Other awards
Roopasree I V of ‘Kerala Kaumudi’ bagged the award for the best coverage of IFFK in the Malayalam print category. A special jury mention went to Anjitha Ashoka (Media One). The visual media award went to V P Vineetha (Asianet News). While Manorama Online bagged the best online coverage award, Mathrubhumi Online got a special jury mention. All India Radio and Pravasi Bharati shared the honours in the radio category.
While Sree Padmanabha theatre won the technical excellence award, Kripa won the award for best facilities.