IFFI 2023: “Endless Borders” wins Best Film.Michael Douglas receives Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award | Bollywood News

Best Film: Endless Borders

The Best Picture award went to Abbas Amini’s Persian film “Endless Borders.” The film is set against the backdrop of the adventures of an Iranian teacher amidst the chaos caused by the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan. It delves into the complexities of prejudice, moral dilemmas, and forbidden love. The jury praised director Abbas Amini’s courageous storytelling and praised the film’s ability to cross physical and emotional boundaries.

Best Web Series: Panchayat Season 2

Panchayat Season 2, which won the Best Web Series (OTT) award for the first time at IFFI, tells the story of an engineering graduate who, for lack of a better job, joins as a panchayat secretary in Phulela, a fictional remote village in Uttar Pradesh. I record my life. chance. This web series is produced by The Viral Fever (TVF) for Amazon Prime Video. Directed by Deepak Kumar Mishra, it stars Jitendra Kumar, Raghubir Yadav, Neena Gupta, Sanvikar, Chandan Roy, Durgesh Kumar, Ashok Pathak, Faisal Malik and Sunita Rajwal in important roles. ing.

Best Actor (Male): Puglia Rahimi Sam (“Endless Borders”)

Actor Pouria Rahimi Sam won the Best Actor award for his role in “Endless Borders.” The jury chose the actor for “his performance under difficult filming conditions and the richness of his interactions with partners, children and adults.” His subtle performance as Ahmad, an exiled Iranian teacher who overcomes ethnic tensions and forbidden love, resonated with the jury.

Best Actor (Female): Melanie Thierry (The Party of Fools)

French actress Mélanie Thierry won the Silver Peacock Award for Best Actor (Female) for her role in “Party of Fools.” In their certificate, the judges said the award was given to a film whose wide range of expressiveness allows us to sensitively explore all the emotions, from hope to despair, that the characters encounter on their crazy journey. She said that it was given to her as an “actress who gives.”

Special Jury Award: Rishabh Shetty for the movie “Kantara”

Actor-director Rishabh Shetty won the Special Jury Award for ‘Kantara’. The jury’s award to Rishabh stated, “For the director’s ability to tell a story of great importance. Although the film is rooted in the unique culture of the forest devils, it resonates in the hearts of audiences regardless of their culture or social status.” The actor-director’s film explores the ideological conflict between humans and nature in a fictional village, delivering a poignant message amidst the clash between tradition and modernity.

Best Director: Stefan Komandarev (The Lessons of Braga)

Bulgarian director Stefan Komandarev won the Silver Peacock for best director for his powerful exploration of moral compromise in the face of deception, The Lessons of Braga. The film focuses on Braga, a widow whose moral compass is shaken after falling victim to a phone scam, and highlights the fragile lives of today’s elderly people in post-communist Bulgaria.

Best Debut Director Award: Rehgar Azad Kaya (“When The Seedlings Grow”)

Regar Azad Kaya won the award for Best Director’s Debut Feature Film for When a Seedling Grows. The jury said that the film tells a story that manages to show us a day in the life of a father, daughter and a lost boy through a series of small events. The film is an intimate story not only about the characters, but also about the country and its trauma.

The first film has its own charm, but winning an award makes it even more special. Congratulations on winning the Best New Director Award for “When the Seedlings Grow” #IFFI54! pic.twitter.com/XPy18PXnNc

Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award: Michael Douglas

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, along with Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana, presented the 2023 Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award to Hollywood legend Michael Douglas at the film festival’s closing ceremony. In his speech, Michael recalled the achievements of Satyajit Ray and said, “I would like to share this honor with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the honorable Minister of Information and Broadcasting Anurag Thakur.I am honored to receive the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award.” It’s an honor. I’m honored to join this prestigious group of past winners. Ray epitomized what it means to be a world-class filmmaker.”

He added, “His films not only represent a triumph for the Indian film industry, but also represent the possibilities of cross-cultural artistic expression. With all that is being thought about in the world today, this festival is our reminds us of the magic of filmmaking. If you’ve been in the industry as long as I have, it’s clear that film is one of the few mediums that has the power to unite and transform us. It reveals our true humanity. Today, our universal language, cinema, is more relevant than ever.”

After his speech, Ayushmann asked Michael if he had ever seen an Indian movie. The actor replied: “We watched RRR. Om Shanti Om plays over and over again in our house. Lunchbox is one of our favorites. We were also able to see Satyajit Ray’s work in college. You’re lucky.” Catherine Zeta-Jones was also honored at the festival’s closing ceremony.