Goa, India – November 28, 2023 – The Vietnamese drama “Skin of Youth,” aโข poignant story centering onโ transgender experiences, claimed the Golden Peacock โขawardโ for Best Film at the closing โceremony of theโฃ 56th International Film Festival ofโ Indiaโฃ (IFFI) heldโข 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 โand included screenings, discussions, and โpremieres, alsoโค honored Indianโ cinema icon Rajinikanth for 50 years โขin the industry, recognizing his prolific career spanning Tamil, โคHindi,โ Telugu, and Kannada-language films. “When โคI lookโข back, it feels as ifโฃ time has flown, as I love cinema and acting. I wouldโ like to take a hundred births as an actor – as Rajinikanth,” theโฃ actor stated upon receiving โthe tribute.
Other major awards included Santosh Davakhar โwinningโข Best Director for the Marathi thriller “Gondhal.” Ubeimar Rรญos received the Silver Peacock โฃfor Best Actor (male) for his performance in โthe Colombian film “A Poet” (Un Poeta),directed by โคsimรณn โMesa Soto,and Jara Sofija Ostan was awarded the Silver Peacock for Best Actor (female) for herโค role โin the Slovenian film “Little Trouble Girls.” Each acting awardโ carried a cash prize of INR10 lakh ($11,200).
hesam Farahmand (“My Daughter’s โคHair”/”raha”) and Tรตnis Pill (“Frรคnk”) jointly received the award for Best Debut Feature Film. The Special โขJury Award went to โคAkinola Davies Jr.’s U.K.-Nigerian film “Myโฃ Father’s Shadow.” The ICFT-UNESCO Gandhi Medal was presented to Norwegian filmmaker Eirik Svensson for “Safe house”(Fรธr Mรธrket), lauded for its depiction of ethical โchallenges faced by Doctors Without Borders workers during theโ 2013 Central African Republic civil war.
Additional โคaccolades included Karan Singh Tyagi โคas Best Debut Director of an Indian Feature Filmโค for “Kesari Chapter 2,” and the Best Web Series award for Prime Video’s โ”Bandish bandits” Season 2. โค
The closing ceremony featured โa showcase of India’s โcultural diversity thru folk, classical, and contemporaryโ artistic performances. Attendees included Indian facts & Broadcasting Secretary Sanjay Jaju, jury chair Rakesh Omprakash Mehra, festival director Shekhar Kapur, and actors Ranveer โฃSingh and Rishabh Shetty. The festival’s market component,โ WAVES Film Bazaar, concluded on November 24.