Bengaluru: The Kannada short film Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know, directed by Chidananda S. Naik, has officially qualified for the 2025 Academy Awards, announced the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Monday. The film has earned a spot in the Live Action Short Film category.
The film was produced by the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). Earlier this year, Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know won the first prize at the Cannes Film Festival’s La Cinef Selection, a platform for emerging filmmakers. The La Cinef Jury at Cannes lauded the film for its exceptional storytelling and direction, with the jury describing it as "an illumination that, from the depths of the night, shines with humour and a keen sense of direction."
Film director Naik stated, “I have aspired to tell this story for as long as I can remember. Our goal was to recreate the experience of not merely hearing these stories but of genuinely living them–an experience I hope resonates with audiences around the globe.”
The 15-minute film is based on Kannada folk tale about an old woman who steals the village rooster, leading to a cessation of sunlight and resulting in turmoil within the community. In an effort to restore order, a prophecy is invoked, resulting in the exile of the woman’s family as they undertake a desperate mission to retrieve the rooster.
The film’s team includes Suraj Thakur as the cinematographer, Manoj V. as the editor and Abhishek Kadam for sound design.
The 97th Academy Awards will take place in March 2025.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
New Delhi (PTI): The Centre has written to Wikipedia noting numerous complaints of bias and inaccuracies in information provided by it, and asked why it should not be treated as a publisher instead of an intermediary, sources said on Tuesday.
The communication from the Information and Broadcasting ministry said there is a view that a small group exercises editorial control on its pages.
Wikipedia advertises itself as a free online encyclopedia where volunteers can create or edit pages on personalities, issues or various subjects.
The popular online source of information is embroiled in legal cases in India over alleged inaccurate and defamatory content provided by it.