Congratulations to the IFFLA 2016 selections that have won National Film Awards in India!
Vetri Maaran’s seering portrait of police brutality and corruption, VISAARANAI, scored Best Tamil Film, Best Editing and Best Supporting Actor; Bhaskar Hazarika’s collection of four wondrously twisted fables, KOTHANODI, won Best Assamese Film; Neeraj Ghaywan won Best Debut Director for MASAAN, a tale of two intertwining stories set along the Ganges; and Nishant Roy Bombarde scored Best Debut Director for his short film THE THRESHOLD, an LGBT film about a young boy exploring his sexuality and gender identity.
Read Summaries of Winning Films
VISAARANAI (Interrogation)
Pandi is a Tamil-speaking immigrant working long hours to make ends meet in the Telugu-speaking region of Andhra Pradesh. When he and his friends are arrested without explanation by local police, they find themselves thrown into a hell of corrupt officials in need of a scapegoat. The men are repeatedly beaten and tortured. Then they receive the bait: if they admit to a recent violent robbery for which the cops have no other suspects, they will be released from jail and the relentless cruelty of its wardens. Read More
KOTHANODI (River of Fables)
Along the banks of a majestic river in Assam, four women with abnormal connections to their children reveal a darker side to the oft-idealized notion of motherhood in director Bhaskar Hazarika’s singular vision of folktale horror. For his debut feature, Hazarika adapts four stories from the popular, century-old Assamese collection Grandma’s Tales,breathing stunning new life into these unsettling fables that make the darkest of Grimm’sseem like, well…child’s play. Read More
MASAAN (Fly Away Solo)
In the past year, IFFLA alum Neeraj Ghaywan’s debut feature has become one of the most celebrated independent Indian films in recent memory. Its premiere in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section saw the film win the prestigious FIPRESCI prize, and the section’s jury honored Ghaywan with the Promising Future Award. The film’s release in India garnered rave reviews and is poised to make stars of its talented young cast, including Vicky Kaushal, Richa Chadda and Shweta Tripathi. So it’s high time that IFFLA welcomes this beautiful film to Los Angeles! Read More
DAARAVTHA (The Threshold)
On the brink of adolescence, a young boy struggles between his own desires and the confines of a strict patriarchal society. Mesmerized by the beautiful costume and dance of the female character in his school’s play, he is determined to play the role, especially since this is his chance to finally get closer to the older boy on whom he’s been harboring a secret crush.Read More
Maaran, Hazarika and Bombarde will all be in person at the 2016 festival, along with so many other talented directors! Browse IFFLA Film Guide and purchase your tickets and passes today.
