The Aryavarth Express
Agency(New Delhi): Chidanand Naik, a student from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), has achieved a significant milestone as his film “Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know” has been selected for the ‘La Cinef’ competitive section at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in France. Scheduled from May 15-24, 2024, ‘La Cinef’ is an essential segment of the festival designed to promote emerging talents from film schools worldwide.
Among the 18 short films selected—14 live-action and 4 animated—Naik’s entry stands out as the sole Indian film in this category. The films were chosen from a pool of 2,263 submissions globally. The winners of the La Cinef prizes will be announced at a special ceremony on May 23, at the Buñuel Theatre, followed by a screening of the awarded films.
The plot of “Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know” revolves around an elderly woman who disrupts her village by stealing a rooster, leading to chaos and a prophetic quest involving her family. This marks the first time a film by a student from the 1-year Television course at FTII has been selected for this prestigious event.
FTII is renowned for its distinctive educational approach, emphasizing practical co-learning in cinema and television, which has consistently led its students and alumni to garner international recognition at various film festivals.
The film was a collaborative effort by four students from different disciplines within the institute’s TV Wing One-year program, including direction by Chidananda S. Naik, cinematography by Suraj Thakur, editing by Manoj V, and sound design by Abhishek Kadam, representing a culmination of their year-end coordinated exercise.