New Delhi: Bangalore based filmmaker, Raam Reddy’s directorial debut, 'Thithi', which premièred at Locarno International Film Festival has bagged two top awards –Pardo d’oro Cineasti Del Presente Premio Nescens” (Golden Leopard, Filmmakers of the Present Competition) and “Swatch First Feature Award" for the best first feature in the entire festival.
The Kannada-language film marked the end of a dry spell of eight years since an Indian film has been selected in competition at the Locarno International Film Festival. It featured in the Concorso Cineasti del Presente section at the festival held from August 5 - 15, 2015.
The other Indian films that have been screened at the Locarno film festival in the past include 'Lagaan','Black Friday' and 'Mr. and Mrs. Iyer'.
Interestingly, the award was announced on Independence Day, which made the victory even more special for the film team. The film also received a standing ovation after its first screening at the festival.
Sharing his joy over the twin victory, Raam says, “It has always been a dream of mine to capture a little piece of India's soul on film, and this was the attempt with Thithi. Some of the characters in the film have become symbols to me - of how life can be lived simply, unequivocally, with grace - and I feel blessed to have had the chance to immortalize them. These awards and the overwhelmingly positive response in Locarno signals that the film has had a wonderful start to its journey, and that the collective soul of a magical community will live on.”
Shot in the Mandya district of Karnataka, 'Thithi' entirely comprises a cast of non-professional actors lending an unparalleled authenticity to the film.
Comments
0 comment