PremiumIFFI Goa - Iranian film 'Endless Borders' wins festival's highest honour Golden Peacock Award
Abbas Amini's Endless Borders made the final cut of 15 nominations for the 'Golden Peacock Award' at the 54th IFFI Goa, with the list also including three Indian films - Kantara, Sanaa and Mirbeen
Last Updated: 09.21 PM, Nov 28, 2023
Iranian filmmaker Abbas Amini's 'Endless Borders' has been conferred with the Golden Peacock Award at the 54th International Film Festival of India or IFFI. The award comes as the highest honour at the prestigious awards function which was held from November 20 and November 28th.
The Golden Peacock Award refers to the 'Best Film' honour at IFFI Goa and Endless Borders made the final cut of 15 nominations, including three Indian films - Kantara, Sanaa and Mirbeen. The award also carries a cash prize of Rs. 40 Lakhs along with a certificate and a coveted 'Golden Peacock' Medal.
'Endless Borders' takes home the award for its striking portrayal of human triumph and for tackling a sensitive & politically relevant subject. Abbas Amini's film follows Ahmad, an Iranian school teacher in exile who lives in a tiny, impoverished village in Iran close to the Afghan Border. Following the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan, Ahmad runs into a Hazara Afghan family that has entered Iran illegally and what ensues then is a confrontation with self in the face of prejudice and dogmatism.
Indian cinema of varied kind at 54th IFFI
Kantara, the Kannada film which set the box office buzzing during its theatrical run in 2022, could not take home the honour but Rishab Shetty, who wrote, directed and starred in it, was bestowed with the 'Special Jury Award' at the 54th IFFI Goa.
Sanaa, the 2022 Hindi film directed by Sudhanshu Saria, follows an ambitious and independent young actress' journey as she grapples with unresolved trauma. The film stars Radhika Madan in the lead along with Pooja Bhatt, Sohum Shah and others, too, as part of the cast.
The Karbi language film 'Mirbeen', too, was part of the running for the Golden Peacock Award. The film, directed by Mridul Gupta and written by Manimala Das, is centred around the 2005 extremist strife that took place in the Karbi Anglong district of Assam. 'Mirbeen' won a lot of praise for its authentic portrayal of the region and for also presenting a compelling tale of hope, tenacity and resilience.
Hollywood icon Michael Douglas wins Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award
Other winners at the 54th International Film Festival of India saw French actress Melanie Thierry being adjudged the Best Actress for her role in the film 'Party of Fools'. Bulgarian filmmaker Stephan Komandarev was honoured with 'Best Director' award for his work in the film 'Blaga's Lessons', with Turkish filmmaker Reger Azad Kaya's 'When the Seedlings Grow' winning the Best Debut Feature Film of a Director award.
Hollywood legend Michael Douglas, known for his work in films like 'Fatal Attraction', 'Wall Street', 'Basic Instinct' and several others, was honoured with the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Cinema at the 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa. “It’s a tremendous honor to receive this award, a career life achievement. When I heard about the award, my family and I were elated,” said Douglas according to the Press Information Bureau.
The 79-year-old actor's wife and fellow actor Catherine Zeta-Jones, too, was felicitated at IFFI. Receiving the honour, she spoke highly of the hospitality and the generosity she experienced during her visit to India.