Team Blitz India
SUNFLOWERS were the first ones to know” – a film by Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) student Chidanand S Naik and his team, has won the ‘La Cinef’ Award at the 77th Cannes Film Festival. The winner was officially announced at the festival. The film has been directed by Chidananda S Naik, shot by Suraj Thakur, edited by Manoj V and sound by Abhishek Kadam.
The Information and Broadcasting Ministry said this is a historic moment for the Indian Cinema. Indian films have been receiving accolades at international stage. FTII has performed remarkably well at Cannes with its students’ films being screened at the festival in past few years. The current recognition comes four years after another FTII student film ‘CATDOG’ won an award at the 73rd Cannes.
The 77th Cannes Film Festival witnessed multiple entries from India in different categories. Many of the FTII’s alumni such as Payal Kapadia, Maisam Ali, Santosh Sivan, Chidanand S Naik and his team received recognition at this years’ Cannes. “Sunflowers were the first ones to know” is a story of an elderly woman who steals the village’s rooster, which throws the community into disarray. To bring the rooster back, a prophecy is invoked, sending the old lady’s family into exile.
