Chidanand Naik, a student at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), has achieved a remarkable feat as his film “Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know” has been chosen for the competitive section of the 77th Cannes Film Festival in France. The festival, scheduled from May 15th to May 24th, 2024, will feature Naik’s film in the ‘La Cinef’ section, which aims to promote emerging talents and recognize films from film schools worldwide.

 

Out of 2,263 films submitted by film schools globally, Naik’s film is one of the 18 shorts (comprising 14 live-action and 4 animated films) selected for the prestigious Cannes event. Notably, it is the sole Indian film selected for the ‘La Cinef’ section, underscoring the rising prominence of Indian filmmakers on the international stage. The jury will award the La Cinef prizes at a ceremony preceding the screening of the awarded films on May 23rd at the Buñuel Theatre.

 

“Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know” narrates the tale of an elderly woman who disrupts her village by stealing the community’s rooster. The ensuing chaos leads to the invocation of a prophecy, resulting in the exile of the old lady’s family.

 

This landmark selection marks the first time a film by a student from FTII’s one-year television course has been featured at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival. FTII’s distinctive pedagogy, emphasizing a practice-based co-learning approach in cinema and television, has consistently produced students and alumni who have garnered acclaim at various national and international film festivals.

 

Produced as part of FTII’s TV Wing one-year program, the film involved collaboration among students specializing in direction, electronic cinematography, editing, and sound. Directed by Chidananda S Naik, the film features cinematography by Suraj Thakur, editing by Manoj V, and sound design by Abhishek Kadam.