Hyderabad: This year, at the Cannes Film Festival, we'll be seeing the work of talented alumni from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine As Light and Maisam Ali's In Retreat have already made waves, and now Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know, a short film by four FTII students, joins the lineup in the La Cinef Competitive section. It's exciting to see FTII alumni making their mark at the prestigious film fest.
This year, at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, we'll see the work of not one, but three talented alumni from the FTII direction course. One of their creations, Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know, a short film by four FTII students, made it into the La Cinef Competitive section. Directed by Chidanand S Naik, it'll be competing with 17 other shorts for three La Cinef prizes at Cannes 2024.
Out of a whopping 2,263 entries from film schools worldwide, Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know stands tall as the sole Indian representative among 18 selected shorts. This film was produced as part of FTII's year-end TV-wing project. The film tells the story of an elderly woman who stirs up trouble in her village by stealing the rooster, prompting her family's exile. It's quite a feat for the FTII students, considering the tough competition.
For unversed, La Cinef, an Official Selection of the Festival de Cannes, is all about showcasing and cheering on films from film schools around the world, be they fiction or animation, that scream talent and deserve a pat on the back.
The FTII couldn't be prouder and shared the news on their social media, congratulating the talented students behind the film. This project was part of the institute's TV Wing One-year program, where students from different disciplines collaborate on a single project.
In addition to Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know, other impressive entries from around the world will be featured in the La Cinef section. Plus, there's more excitement from India with Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine As Light entering the competition for the prestigious Palme d’or. And there's even more representation from FTII with Maisam Ali's In Retreat in the ACID Cannes sidebar programme.
Meanwhile, Sandhya Suri's Santosh has been selected for the Un Certain Regard section of the Cannes Film Festival 2024. Similarly, Meeta Vashisht starrer Shameless, helmed by Bulgarian director Konstantin Bojanov will also get screened in the Un Certain Regard section.
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