In a thrilling announcement on Monday with great excitement by the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting it is revealed that the Kannada language short film “Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know” has made it into the Oscars 2025 for Live Action Short Film category. This movie is directed by Chidananda S Naik and produced by the Film and Television Institute of India FTII), this movie has already been acclaimed internationally for the first time winning first prize in La Cinef Selection at the Cannes Film Festival.
La Cinef Jury at Cannes also commended the film for its amazing storytelling and powerful direction, saying, “Une illumination qui, du fond de la nuit, brille par son humour et le sens de la mise en scene, le premier prix est attribute a Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know de Chidananda S. Naik” (An illumination that, from the depths of the night, shines with humor and a keen sense of direction, the first prize is awarded to ‘Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know’ by Chidananda S Naik.)
“It revolves around an elderly woman who steals the village rooster, leading to a cessation of sunlight and resulting in turmoil within the community. To restore order, a prophecy is invoked, resulting in the exile of the woman’s family as they undertake a desperate mission to retrieve the rooster.”
This success is owed to an excellent creative group of cinematographer Suraj Thakur, editor Manoj V, and sound designer Abhishek Kadam. Their technical ability as well as Naik‘s dream create a deep emotional approach to the audiences. Naik himself shares his dream of making this story come to life for as long, adding that the idea was to create the distance of the noise only as we heard these stories but to live through them in a way.
This nomination is inning for the Kannada film industry helping the cultural value and storytelling ability of Kannada cinema reach a global audience. In anticipation of the coming 97th Academy Awards in March 2025, the spotlight is on “Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know” as it goes for the Oscar.
