Santosh Sivan sweeps the Olympia International Film Festival

Santosh Sivan sweeps the Olympia International Film Festival
Monday, December 08, 2008 13:35 IST
By Subhash K Jha, Santa Banta News Network
/> Sunday at midnight, at the 10th Olympia International Film Festival For Childrem Santosh Sivan's much-acclaimed Hindi film Tahaan about the relationship between a little boy and his pet donkey, walked away with several major awards including the topmost awards for Best Feature Film, the CIFEJ (Centre International du Film pour Les Enfant Et La Jeunesse) award and the UNICEF award for best film.

"That covers all the major awards in the films category, " said an excited Sivan minutes after the Olympia awards concluded in Greece.

Sadly little Purav Bhandare who plays the main part in Tahaan couldn't be in Greece for the awards because of school and also the Festival's apparent inability to fund Purav's flight to the Festival.

"What makes these awards special is the fact that every category has a separate set of jury members, so it was basically three different set of jury members giving the three awards to Tahaan.

That felt good, " says Santosh Sivan who has a lifelong affinity to children and children's films beginning with Halo and Ashoka (remember little Sooraj Balajee stealing scenes from Shah Rukh and Kareena?) and the the film on AIDS Praramb.All these had sterling performances by child actors.

Laughs Santosh, "I may be making films with children in the lead. But I'm in a minority. At these international film festivals specially Olympia which is devoted to children's cinema, they have an impression that a lot of children's films are being made in India."

Santosh was excited about meeting many prospective producers at Olympia and has even locked in for a project with a Canadian production house.

Tahaan gets a big hand-up because of the triumph at Olympia.

"Tahaan has already been screened and appreciated at the London, Rome, Pusan and now the Olympia film festivals., " says Santosh excitedly.

Sad, it hardly ran in the country of its origin.
Death Threats to Shah Rukh Khan: Lawyer Arrested in Chhattisgarh for Extortion Attempt!

In a shocking turn of events, a man identified as Mohammad Faizan Khan has been arrested for issuing death threats to Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan. The accused, a lawyer by

Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Bigg Boss 18: Vivian Dsena and Chahat Panday's Coffee Banter Steals the Show; Frenemies Turn Friendly Over French Coffee!

In the latest promo of Bigg Boss 18, contestants Vivian Dsena and Chahat Panday, known for their heated arguments and on-screen rivalry, showcased a lighter side of their relationship

Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Varun Dhawan Praises Pooja Hegde's Stunning Look; Sparks Excitement for Upcoming Film!

Bollywood actor Varun Dhawan recently showered praise on actress Pooja Hegde, who made heads turn with her stylish and edgy outfit in her latest Instagram photoshoot. Pooja shared a

Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Half Love Half Arranged S2 Trailer Unveiled!

Get ready for an exciting and drama-filled journey as Amazon MX Player, Amazon's free video streaming service, and Dice Media's much-loved rom-com series Half Love Half

Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Model Sifat Sehgal opens up about her battle with Anorexia!

In a candid and courageous revelation, model and reality TV star Sifat Sehgal has opened up about her harrowing journey with anorexia and her recovery, offering an unfiltered

Tuesday, November 12, 2024
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT