Dark Room wins Best Film: IFFK comes to a close

• ·         Pellissery Best Director
• ·         Sudani From Nigeria Best Malayalam Film

'Dark Room' won the Golden Crow Pheasant for the Best Film in International Competition at the Closing Ceremony of the 23rd International Film Festival of Kerala. Iranian filmmaker Rouhallah Hejazi received the award from Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan at the Award Function that followed the Closing Ceremony at Nishagandhi. Lijo Jose Pellissery received the Silver Crow Pheasant for Best Director for 'Ee Maa Yau', and the NETPAC Award for Best Asian Film In Competition. Anamika Haksar received the Silver Crow Pheasant for Best Debut Director for 'Taking the Horse to Eat Jalebis' and a Special Jury Mention for its Cinematographer Saumyanand Sahi, while \ Beatriz Seigner recieved a Special Jury  Mention for 'The Silence'. 'Ee.Ma.Yau' also won the Audience Poll as it garnered the most number of votes from the delegates. Zakariya's 'Sudani from Nigeria' was chosen winner for the FIPRESCI Award for Best Malayalam Film Amitabha Chatterjee was awarded the FFSI K R Mohanan Endowment for the Best Debut Director from India, for 'Manohar and I', as Vinu Kolichal received Special Jury Mention for 'Bilathikuzhal'. 

The Media Awards under various categories were also distributed in the event. In Print Media, Aravind (Metro Vartha) received the Best Reporter award, while Merin Maria (Indian Express) and N P Muraleekrishnan (Kerala Kaumudi) won Special Mentions. Shammy Prabhakar (Mathrubhumi News) received the Best Reporter award in Television category, while Honey K A (Kairali TV) won the Special Jury Mention. In the Radio category, the Best Reporting Award went to All India Radio, and Pravasi Bharathi won the Special Jury Mention. Mathrubhumi Online won the Best Online Reporting award, with The News Minute getting the special mention. T K Deepa Prasad (Times of India) was awarded the Best Photographer Prize (Print), and Chandran Aryanadu (Mangalam TV) was the recipient of the Best Video-Cameraperson (Television).

A K Balan, Minister for Welfare for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes, Law, Culture and Parliamentary Affairs, presided over the ceremony, which had Rani George IAS delivering the Welcome Speech. V S Sunil Kumar, Minister for Agriculture was the Chief Guest.  V Majid Majidi, Chairperson, International Competition Jury, Meghachandra Kongbam, FIPRESCI Jury member, Sunilt Tandon, NETPAC Jury member, Kumar Shahani, Chaiperson, FFSI K R Mohanan Endowment, S Sivakumar MLA, M Vijayakumar, Chairman, KTDC, Kamal, Chairman, Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, Bina Paul, Vice Chairperson, Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, Mahesh Panju, Secretary, Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, participated. 

The seven day celluloid gala came to end after entertaining cinephiles with over 160 films from around the world. The 24^th edition will unfold in the capital city, from December 6 to December 13 next year.