The 18th Chennai International Film Festival (CIFF) organized by Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation, which began on February 18, drew to a close on Thursday. Awards under several categories were presented as a part of the film festival.
Endravadhu Oru Naal, directed by debutant Vetri Duraiswamy, received the award for best Tamil feature film, under the Tamil feature film competition that was held by CIFF. The movie is based on a family’s bond with cattle. It was appreciated for its storytelling, cinematography, screenplay, direction and the well-played characters. The technical crew includes NR Raghunathan, who was in charge of the music and Shanmuga Sundaram for cinematography. Endravadhu Oru
Cameraperson Shanmuga won the special jury award for his work in Endravadhu Oru Naal. He was presented with a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh, a certificate and a trophy as well.
Vaigarai Balan directorial Chiyangal, which was produced by G Karikalan, won the second-best Tamil feature film award. The director and producer of the film that won under this category received a cash prize, certificate and trophy as well.
Actor Aishwarya Rajesh received a special mention for her role in the film Ka Pae Ranasingham, where she starred opposite actor Vijay Sethupathi. The actor expressed that she was happy about realistic movies like Ka Pae Ranasingham being noticed and backed. She also added that films such as this raise awareness deserve to be at the limelight.
Close to 91 films from 53 countries were screened at the film festival. The curators specifically focused on world cinema, Indian panorama, retrospective and country categories. Thirteen films that were selected and screened as a part of the Tamil feature film competition include Labour, Galtha,
The jury that decided the winners for the competition comprised actor Sukanya, director Haleetha Shameem and journalist Bharath. The event was organized by CIFF in association with PVR Cinemas.