54th IFFI 2023 Event: 'Endless Borders' wins Golden Peacock; Panchayat 2: Best Web Series; 'Kantara' bags Special Jury Award & many more

On November 28, there was an award ceremony to mark the conclusion of the 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) In Panaji, Goa, at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium, the nine-day festival came to an end. A total of 15 films—12 foreign and 3 Indian—competed for the coveted Golden Peacock. "Endless Borders" won the prize. Pouria Rahimi Sam, an Iranian actor, won the Best Actor prize for his work in "Endless Borders." "Kantara" made history by being the first Kannada film to receive an IFFI award. For his pan-Indian hit film, Rishab Shetty, an actor and filmmaker from Kannada, received the Special Jury Award.

The Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded to legendary Hollywood actor and producer Michael Douglas, while "Panchayat Season 2" got the Best Web Series award. At the 54th IFFI, the closing film, "The Featherweight," makes its Asian premiere.  As the festival's closing film, the American movie is having its Asia premiere at the 54th IFFI in Goa today. The director of The Featherweight is Robert Kolodny.

Here is the complete list of IFFI 2023 Awards & Winners with Details:

1. Endless Borders won the Best Film Award

Abbas Amini's Persian film Endless Borders won the Golden Peacock Award for Best Film. The film deftly crafts a story around the journey of an Iranian teacher amidst the Taliban's ascent to power in Afghanistan. The jury commended the movie for its bravery in addressing difficult subjects like moral quandaries, forbidden love, and prejudice.

2. Season 2 of Panchayat won the Best OTT Web Series Award

The second season of the Prime Video series Panchayat won the inaugural Best Web Series (OTT) Award. The Viral Fever (TVF) television series delves into the life of an engineering graduate who works as a Panchayat secretary in a far-off made-up village. The show, which is helmed by Deepak Kumar Mishra, stars Jitendra Kumar, Raghubir Yadav, and Neena Gupta among its impressive cast.

3. Rishab Shetty for Kantara won the Special Jury Award.

The Special Jury Award was awarded to Kannada actor-director Rishab Shetty for his film Kantara. The jury praised Shetty for her ability to tell a compelling tale that was based on the conflict between modernity and tradition. Kantara conveys a moving message while examining the ideological struggle between people and environment in a made-up village.

4. Pouria Rahimi Sam, in Endless Borders won the Best actor Award

Pouria Rahimi Sam won the Best Actor Award for his performance in Endless Borders. Sam received praise from the jury for his nuanced performance under difficult shooting circumstances. The audience responded very well to his portrayal of Ahmad, the exiled Iranian teacher juggling forbidden love and ethnic tensions.

5. For Party of Fools, Melanie Thierry won the Best Actress Award

The Silver Peacock for Best Actress went to Melanie Thierry, a French actress, for her work in Party of Fools. The jury praised Thierry's expressive range as he navigated the character's erratic journey.

6. For Blaga's Lessons' Stephan Komandarev won Best Director Award

For Blaga's Lessons, the Silver Peacock for Best Director went to Bulgarian director Stephan Komandarev. The vulnerable lives of elderly people in Bulgaria after communism are explored in the movie.

7. Reger Azad Kaya, won the Best Debutant Director Award

The Best Debutant Director Award went to Reger Azad Kaya for his film When The Seedlings Grow. The jury gave the movie high marks for how it depicted the bond that forms between a father, daughter, and a lost boy via a series of insignificant incidents.

8. Michael Douglas Won the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award

The Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Hollywood actor Michael Douglas. During the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) event, Douglas received the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award from Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.