Onkar Diwadkar’s short film Still Alive brings about the much-needed conversation around mental health Writer-director Onkar Diwadkar puts the spotlight on mental health in his Marathi short film
Still Alive (with English subtitles). Recently screened at the 51st International Film Festival Of India (IFFI) and the 26th Kolkata International Film Festival, the 27-minute film delves into the psychological state of a woman with depression and suicidal thoughts. The protagonist Meera (played by Pooja Raibagi), in an emotional state of mind, stands on the beach and decides to take her life.
Unable to bear the breakup with her boyfriend, she is frustrated and tries to call him, then her mother and even dials Manas Foundation, a suicide prevention helpline. Although Meera is listening, she is not receptive. She walks into the water but a high tide throws her back to the shore. Meera realises how precious life is and starts humming the lines
Into The Darkness, Silent Forest Win Top Honors at Hybrid Goa Film Festival
Naman Ramachandran, provided by
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Anders Refn’s WWII saga “Into the Darkness” (Denmark) and Ko Chen-Nien’s abuse drama “The Silent Forest” (Taiwan) won the major prizes at the 51st International Film Festival of India in Goa.
“Into The Darkness” won the Golden Peacock for best film. The award carries a cash prize of INR 4 million ($54,800). The Silver Peacock for best director went to Ko, for “The Silent Forest.” The award comes with a cash prize of INR 1.5 million ($20,550).
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Liu Tzu-Chuan won best actor, male, for “The Silent Forest,” while Zofia Stafiej won best actor, female, for her role in Piotr Domalewski’s comedy-drama “I Never Cry” (Poland).
IFFI Spotlight: The festival concludes amid celebration and nostalgia
The last film screened at the festival was Director Kiyoshi Kurosawaâs Japanese film âWife of A Spyâ. The 51st IFFI paid homage to 18 film personalities including Irrfan Khan, Rishi Kapoor, Soumitra Chatterjee, Sushant Singh Rajput and Basu Chatterjee.
A still from the Japanese movie, Wife of A Spy
The 51
st edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) concluded amid fanfare, felicitations and cultural performances. The nine-day festival, founded in 1952, saw participation from the whoâs who of the world of cinema. The first-ever hybrid IFFI, incorporating physical and virtual screenings and sessions, recognised cinematic works from across the globe. Even the NFDC Film Bazaar was held in a hybrid format.
Courtesy of Media Plan PR
The filmmaking veteran opens up about how Jaws and a real-life wild buffalo chase helped inspire his frenetic, horror-tinged action allegory, which tells the story of an Indian village gradually driven mad.
A riotous horror-tinged romp starring a runaway buffalo, there s no other contender for the 2021 best international film Oscar quite like India s submission,
Jallikattu, directed by Malayalam cinema maverick Lijo Jose Pellissery.
The 90-minute movie s galloping plot couldn t be simpler: a bull escapes from a slaughterhouse in a remote Indian village and all of the menfolk gather to chase it down. But the escalating bedlam that ensues defies easy summary, as does the blunt but multivalent allegory at the center of the tale. The wild bull indeed lays waste to much of the village, but not before Pellissery has more mercilessly skewered the male ego, small-town social conventions and the crazed savagery lurking in the hearts of humans.
Panaji, January 24
Danish World War II drama “Into the Darkness” won the Golden Peacock award at the closing ceremony of the 51st edition of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI