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Anand Patwardhan’s documentary “Vasudhaiva Kudumbakam” wins Best Long Documentary at IDSFFK, with the prize donated to Wayanad landslide victims. Other winners include Ranajit Ray’s “Putulnama” and Ritam Chakraborty’s “Salvation Dream.”
Anand Patwardhan’s “Vasudhaiva Kudumbakam (The World is Family),” a documentary that intricately weaves the filmmaker’s family history with the nation’s history, has been awarded the Best Long Documentary at the 16th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK). Organized by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, the award comes with a ₹2 lakh cash prize, which Patwardhan generously donated to the Kerala Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund for the victims of the Wayanad landslides. In addition to this honor, Patwardhan also received the Kumar Talkies Award for Best Editing.
Ranajit Ray’s “Putulnama (Dolls Don’t Die),” which portrays the daily struggles of puppet artists, secured the Second Best Long Documentary award and also won the Jury Award for Best Cinematography. A special mention in the Long Documentary category was given to Nishtha Jain and Akash Basumatari’s “Farming the Revolution,” documenting the peaceful farmers’ protests against new laws enacted by the Union government. Divyam Jain’s “Picturing Life” received the Jury Award for Best Sound.
Ritam Chakraborty’s “Salvation Dream,” a poignant exploration of a man’s final days, won the Best Short Documentary Award. The film also garnered the Jury Award for Best Cinematography and Best Sound. Prachee Bajania’s “Umbro (The Threshold),” celebrating the friendship among a group of women in a small town, took home the Second Best Short Documentary Award. Sneha Malakar and Srishti Garg’s “Jhaal” received the Special Jury Mention, while Pranav Patil was awarded Best Editing for “P For Paparazzi.”
In the Short Fiction category, Vishwas K.’s “Waterman,” about a child in a water-scarce neighborhood who discovers a superpower, won the Best Short Fiction Award. Shivam Shankar’s “Gore Goat Ghost” received the Second Best Short Fiction Award, and Soumyajit Ghosh Dastidar’s “Flowering Man” earned the Special Jury Award.
Febin Martin’s “Hitham (The Choice)” won the Best Campus Film Award, and Pramod Satchidanandan’s “Mutton Cutter” received the Special Jury Award. The winners were honored on Wednesday without an official ceremony, as it was canceled due to a two-day State mourning declared by the government to respect those who lost their lives in the landslides. Urmi Juvekar, Jury Chairperson for Fiction, and Rakesh Sharma, Jury Chairperson for Non-Fiction, presented the awards.