KSFDC’s movie under women directors’ project bags best film award at Canadian fest
Nishiddho adjudged winner in online fest OIFFA
Trivandrum / June 20, 2022
Thiruvananthapuram, June 20: Nishiddho (Forbidden), the first film produced by Kerala State Film Development Corporation (KSFDC) as part of the state government’s pioneering project to support aspiring women directors, bagged the Best Feature Film award at the Ottawa Indian Film Festival Awards (OIFFA).
The film, written and directed by Tara Ramanujan, is getting the award in the online fest, close on the heels of winning the Second Best Film award in the 52ndState Film Awards this year.
The June 14-18 online film festival had a strong competition segment of Indian films. Around 14 feature films and five short films were screened in OIFFA, an exclusive film festival conducted in Canada for filmmakers from India and the Indian diaspora as well as films featuring Indian content.
Commenting on the achievement, KSFDC Chairman Shri Shaji N Karun said it’s a great honour for a female filmmaker from Kerala and the award will infuse huge confidence in aspiring women directors, who would like to be part of the KSFDC’s initiative.
Nishiddho is one of the two films produced by KSFDC under the government’s project to support and mainstream aspiring women directors, an initiative for empowerment of women by giving wings to their creative talent.
The other film Divorce, directed by debutant Mini I.G, will hit the big screens before Onam while Nishiddho will have its theatrical release after the festival. The government has exempted both the films from entertainment tax, as a special gesture to support women empowerment initiatives.
Nishiddho showcases a relationship that blooms between a Bengali man and a Tamil woman at their workplace in Kerala. Kani Kusruti plays the character Chaavi and Tanmay Dhanania plays Rudra, an idol-maker from Kolkata.
The film also earned for Tara Ramanujan the FFSI K R Mohanan Award for the Best Debut Director from India at the International Competition Section of the 26thInternational Film Festival of Kerala 2022 (IFFK).
The movie was also screened in the Indian Cinema Competition category of the 13thBengaluru International Film Festival (BIFFes)and in the 27th Kolkata International Film Festival.
Established in 1975, KSFDC is the first public sector corporation for film development in India.
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