IFFI 2023: 'Odh' wins Best Film award

The refreshing and thought-provoking short film on receding beach lines of Goa, Odh bagged the best film award at the '75 Creative Minds of Tomorrow' (CMOT) held at the 54th International Film Festival of India in Goa.

Congratulating the winners, Prithul Kumar, Joint Secretary (Films), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and Managing Director, "The CMOT is the best platform for young creative minds across India who are driven into making films with good content", he said.

NFDC threw light on the importance of recognizing true content in filmmaking which will place India on a global pedestal.

Speaking on the occasion, director Shoojit Sircar, one of the jury members for 75 CMOT, said that creating a short film in 48 hours on the theme 'The Mission Life' juxtaposing all the emotions such as self-retrospection, hope, protest, etc. is incredible.

Congratulating the team members of all the films in the competition, Shoojit Sircar said that all the films are really relevant and thought-provoking and Odh deals with a very important topic of protecting and preserving the environment. He said, "All of you are winners already".

Jury member and CEO of Shorts TV, Carter Pilcher added, "The concept of providing a platform like CMOT to young creative minds to showcase their talent is phenomenal."

As part of the Film Challenge, 75 CMOT participants were divided into five teams who made short films on the topic 'Mission Life' in 48 hours.

The film depicts the narrative of Marceline, a fisherman who drives his boat into the midst of a metropolis in search of a parking spot. He complains that the beach has been stolen and that he has no parking place left. The film focuses on Goa's retreating beach lines, which are the result of rising sea levels and mass beach building.

The competition has been conceived by NFDC in partnership with Shorts International. The CMOT participants also attended workshops and masterclass sessions curated by the masters of world cinema.

A brainchild of Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, Anurag Singh Thakur, the initiative aims to encourage and nurture young creative talents from various trades of filmmaking.

The initiative is in its third year, having been launched in 2021 to mark the 75th year of India's Independence as part of the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' celebrations.