Goa, India – November 28, 2023 – The Vietnamese drama “Skin of Youth,” a poignant story centering on transgender experiences, claimed the Golden Peacock award for Best Film at the closing ceremony of the 56th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) held at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Goa. The film’s win marks a important moment for LGBTQ+ representation on the international stage.
the festival, which ran for nine days and included screenings, discussions, and premieres, also honored Indian cinema icon Rajinikanth for 50 years in the industry, recognizing his prolific career spanning Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and Kannada-language films. “When I look back, it feels as if time has flown, as I love cinema and acting. I would like to take a hundred births as an actor – as Rajinikanth,” the actor stated upon receiving the tribute.
Other major awards included Santosh Davakhar winning Best Director for the Marathi thriller “Gondhal.” Ubeimar Ríos received the Silver Peacock for Best Actor (male) for his performance in the Colombian film “A Poet” (Un Poeta),directed by simón Mesa Soto,and Jara Sofija Ostan was awarded the Silver Peacock for Best Actor (female) for her role in the Slovenian film “Little Trouble Girls.” Each acting award carried a cash prize of INR10 lakh ($11,200).
hesam Farahmand (“My Daughter’s Hair”/”raha”) and Tõnis Pill (“Fränk”) jointly received the award for Best Debut Feature Film. The Special Jury Award went to Akinola Davies Jr.’s U.K.-Nigerian film “My Father’s Shadow.” The ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal was presented to Norwegian filmmaker Eirik Svensson for “Safe house”(Før Mørket), lauded for its depiction of ethical challenges faced by Doctors Without Borders workers during the 2013 Central African Republic civil war.
Additional accolades included Karan Singh Tyagi as Best Debut Director of an Indian Feature Film for “Kesari Chapter 2,” and the Best Web Series award for Prime Video’s ”Bandish bandits” Season 2.
The closing ceremony featured a showcase of India’s cultural diversity thru folk, classical, and contemporary artistic performances. Attendees included Indian facts & Broadcasting Secretary Sanjay Jaju, jury chair Rakesh Omprakash Mehra, festival director Shekhar Kapur, and actors Ranveer Singh and Rishabh Shetty. The festival’s market component, WAVES Film Bazaar, concluded on November 24.