17th Chennai International Film Festival Press Meet Stills and Press Release

Nikil Murukan:PRO

Organized by Indo Cine Appreciation Foundation

Dates of the Festival: 12-19 December 2019

Venues: Devi & Devi Bala, Anna Theatre, Casino, Russian Centre of Science and Culture, Tagore Film Centre

Inaugural Function: Kalaivanar Arangam (Dec 12, 2019 at 6:00 pm)

Closing Function: Devi Theatre (Dec 19, 2019 at 6:15 pm)

For Tamil films competition category, ICAF informed through Media about the submission process from 7^th October and the last date for receipt of entries was fixed on 10^th November. In total ICAF received 19 Tamil Films and 12 films have been selected by the Preview Committee.

HIGHLIGHTS OF 17^TH CIFF

Number of Countries: 55

Number of Films: 130

Guests: Diplomats from various Foreign Missions at Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Chennai

Filmmakers
Expected: 1) Dr. Balázs Varga (Assistant Professor) – Hungary

2) Ms. Shilpa (Director from Singapore)

3) Mr. Bharathirajaa Nadarajah (Malaysian Producer & Director)

4) Mr. Y Srinivas (Kannada Movie Director) and crew

5) Mr. Chetan Singh (Hindi Movie Director)

6) Mr. Prasad KL (Telugu Movie Director) and crew

7) Ms. Rajni Basumatary (Assamese Movie Director)

Opening Film: Palme d’Or winner at Cannes Film Festival – THE PARASITE (Korea)

Closing Film: Gundermann – Germany

Other Award

Winning Films: CANNES Film Festival – Winners

Portrait of a Lady on Fire – France
Beanpole – Russia

BERLIN International Film Festival – Winners

Piranhas – Italy
So Long, My Son – China
System Crasher – Germany
Buoyancy – Australia
The Legend of Rita – Germany
Dear Emma, Sweet Böbe – Hungary

FAJR Film Festival (Iran) – Winners

Just 6.5 (Iran)
The Warden (Iran)
Irina (Bulgaria)

VENICE Film Festival – Winners

A Son – Tunisia
The Man Who Surprised Everyone – Estonia
Sole – Poland

TORONTO International Film Festival – Winner

Sole – Poland

KARLOVY VARY International Film Festival (Czech Republic) – Winner

Paths in the Night – Germany

Cannes Film Festival – Nominees

Nina Wu (Taiwan), Summer of Changsha (China), Sick Sick Sick (Brazil),

Goldie (USA), Tlamess (Tunisia), Song Without a Name (Peru),

The Unknown Saint (Qatar, Morocco), Sibyl (Belgium), Homeward (Ukraine) and

Oh Mercy! (France)

Berlin International Film Festival – Nominees

The Ground Beneath My Feet (Germany), Holy Beasts (Dominican Republic),

The Day After I’m Gone (Israel), Easy Love (Germany) and Divine Love (Uruguay)

Venice Film Festival – Nominees

Just 6.5 (Iran), Adam and Evelyn (Germany) and Stripped (Israel)

Busan International Film Festival – Nominee

The Man Who Surprised Everyone – Estonia

INDIAN PANORAMA has 2 National Award Won films

Amori by Mr. Dinesh P Bhonsle (Konkani movie)
Hellaro by Mr. Abhishek Shah (Gujarati movie)

Contemporary German

Cinema: 6 films (courtesy Goethe-Institut, Chennai)

30 Years of Fall of

Berlin Wall: 5 films (courtesy Goethe-Institut, Chennai)

Country Focus

(Hungary): 4 films (courtesy Hungarian Information & Cultural Centre, New Delhi)

Thailand Focus: 2 films (courtesy Royal Thai Consulate General, Chennai)

Taiwanese Corner: 2 films (courtesy Taipei Economic and Cultural Center, Chennai)

Glimpses Australia: 2 films (courtesy Australian Consulate, Chennai)

Contemporary Films

from Iran: 5 films

Indian Panorama: 13 films

Tamil Feature

Film Competition: 12 films

FIRST TIME IN CIFF:

A movie from Azerbaijan titled THE BRA!
A film from New Zealand called STRAY that has 8 wins & 15 nominations
An Albanian movie titled HOLY BOOM, which has 12 wins and 3 nominations to its name till date
A movie from Qatar/Morocco – THE UNKNOWN SAINT (which was nominated in Cannes Film Festival)
HEARTS AND BONES – a film from Sudan
A National Award won Konkani movie titled ‘AMORI’
A National Award won Gujarati movie titled ‘HELLARO’
A Bodo & Assamese language film called ‘JWLWI – THE SEED’
A movie in Garo & Khasi languages titled ‘IEWDUH’
A film titled ‘NETAJI’ which is in Irula language