Malayalam film 'Ottaal' sweeps all awards ar International Film Festival of Kerala

Renowned Malayalam director R Jayaraj's 'Ottaal' (The Trap) swept all the top awards, including the Suvarna Chakoram (Golden Crow Pheasant) at the 20th International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) which concluded in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday.

State Governor Justice (Rtd) P Sathasivam gave away the coveted Suvarna Chakoram, the Best Film of the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) jury, the Best Malayalam film of the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) jury and the Audience Poll awards to Jayaraj. The Suvarna Chakoram consists of Rs 15 lakh cash award, a certificate and a memento.

The citation stated that "Ottaal," already a winner of national and state film awards, took the top prize for "its strong cinematic language, interweaving local and planetary concerns, humankind's relationship to nature and nurture and child human right all grounded in a deep honest connection to culture and place."

The Rajatha Chakoram for Best Director was awarded to Jun Robles Lana for the Filipino film Shadow Behind the Moon. The Rajatha Chakoram for Best Debut Director went to Bangladeshi director Abu Shahed Emon for "Jalal s Story." Sanal Kumar Sasidharan s small-budget film, An Off-Day Game, took the FIPRESCI award for Best Malayalam Film. Israeli film Yona won the NETPAC Best Asian film award.

"It is often felt that Kerala is not only God s Own Country but the favourite foster land of a variety of arts, so it is little wonder that it has produced notable names in filmmaking," Sathasivam said giving away the awards.

"The film festival provides an opportunity for film lovers to see films from around the world and thereby get a feel for lifestyles around the world," he said.

Besides the Governor, the closing ceremony was attended by leader of the Opposition V S Achuthanandan, Minister for Cinema Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan, and Secretary (Cultural Affairs) Rani George.

"We have to make a better effort to market Malayalam films internationally," Achuthanandan said adding the government should also implement the recommendations of the Adoor Gopalakrishnan Committee report.

Legendary Iranian filmmaker Dariush Mehrjui, whose film package was shown in the festival s Retrospective segment, was honoured with IFFK s Lifetime Achievement Award. The award carries a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh, a memento and a citation.

Mehrjui presented the Film Employees Federation of Kerala s (FEFKA) inaugural Master s award to avant garde Malayalam filmmaker K G George. The Iranian director also presented the prize to the signature film winner Shri Shameer Babu.

Tagore theatre, which was introduced this year as the festival s main hub, won best theatre for its aesthetic quality, while New Theatre Screen 1 won for best technical quality.