Angel's Fall, Forever Flows bag IFFK Film Awards

Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 15 (UNI) Turkish film ''Angel's Fall'' and Bangladesh film ''Forever Flows'' today shared the ''Swarna Chakoram' (Golden Crow Pheasant), the top prize of the eleventh International Film Festival of Kerala, which concluded here this evening.

Iranian Director Asghar Farhadi, the director of ''Foreworks Wednesday,'' bagged the ''Rajata Chakoram'' (Silver Crow Pheasant) Award for the best director.

The Rajata Chakoram'' (Silver Crow Pheasant) Award for the debutant director went to Sri Lankan Director Prasanna Jayakody for his film ''Sankara''.

The ''Forever Flows'' directed by Abu Sayeed also bagged the Federation of International Film Critics (FIPRESCI) Prize and the NETPAC Award was given to ''Sankara.'' Meanwhile the Audience Prize was won by Mexican film ''Violin'' directed by Francisco Vargas.

The Special Jury Award went to Japanese film ''The Whispering of the Gods'' directed by Tatsushi Omori.

Giving away the awards, State Chief Minister V S Achutanandan announced that the government would actively consider a film festival complex in the state.

''The government has received many suggestions regarding a theatre complex in the state. We will consider it,'' he said.

Dada Saheb Phalke Awardee Adoor Gopalakrishnan was also felicitated at the function.

Announcing the awards, Jury Chairman Elia Suleiman said the two films that shared the Swarna Chakoram were ''perfect art of direction.

''Though both the films have different themes, both of them share an artistic resemblance giving a poetic dimension,'' he said.

These films also had its impact in the world of globalisation, Mr Suleiman said.

Based on Humayun Ahmed's novel Janam Janam, the Forever Flows visualises the life and struggles of tithi, a sex worker, who sacrifices her private life for her family. The Angel's Fall, directed by emih Kaplanoglu, tells the story of Zeynap, a young woman who feels oddly disconnected from her violent, unpredictable father, from the shy workmate who tries to date her, even from her former friends...until a chance encounter with a recently abandoned husband leads her to a sudden, shocking act of rebellion.

The competition section had more than 150 entries, of which 14 were shortlisted for screening at the festival. The jury members, apart from its chairman Palestine director Elia Suleiman, were Actress Julie Christie from Britain, South African Director Darrell James Roodt and Actor-Director Revathy.

Santiago Loza's Four Women Barefoot (Argentina), T V Chandran's Adum Koothu (Tamil) and Asghar Farhadi's Fireworks Wednesday (Iran), were among the 14 films in the competition section.

The FIPRESCI jury consisted of film writers and critics Hubert Niogret, Ranjanee Rathnavibhushane and Sudhir Vasudeo Nandgaonkar.

The NETPEC jury consisted Tiokoy Aguiluz, Aijaz Gul and Girish Kasaravalli.

State Cultural Minister M A Baby and Law minister M Vijayakumar were also present.

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