Star News Agency

Panaji (Goa). The Taiwanese film, ‘I Can’t Live Without You” has bagged the coveted Golden Peacock Award for the Best Film at the 40th International Film Festival of India 2009, while the Silver Peacock Award for the Best Director has gone to “A Brand New Life’, a film from South Korea, directed by Ounie Lecomte. ‘The Other Bank’ from Georgia won the Special Jury Award.

The Golden Peacock Award carries a Golden Peacock, Rs. 40 lakhs and a certificate. Leon Dai, the Director of the film received the Golden Peacock, Rs. 20 lakhs and a Certificate, from the Governor of Goa, Dr. S. S. Sidhu in presence of the Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, Shri S. Jagathrakshakan, the Chef Minister of Goa, Shri Digambar Kamat and the Chief Guest of the Closing Function, veteran Malayalam actor, Mamooty. The Producer got Rs. 20 Lakhs and a Certificate. The lead actor of the film, Chen, Wen-Pin was also present in the closing function and collected the award on behalf of the Producer.

Based on real-life characters, ‘I Can’t Live Without You’ is the moving tale of a father and his seven-year-old daughter who face separation due to bureaucratic procedures. The story revolves around the subtle portrayal of the anxiety and predicament of its central character, and his relentless struggles to ensure that he doesn’t lose his daughter, who is told that the baby’s legal guardians are her mother and the man whom her mother was legally married with, The Silver Peacock Award comprising a Silver Peacock, a cash award of Rs. 15 lakh and a certificate was presented to Ounie Lecomte, the Director of South Korean film for capturing the sentiments of a nine year old girl, given by her father to an orphanage for adoption, and her everlasting hope to see her father again. ‘The Other Bank’, the Special Jury Award winner captures on celluloid the dangerous journey a 12-year boy embarks upon to find his father in breakaway Republic of Abkhazia in Georgia, an enemy land.

The above films were chosen by a five Member competition jury out of 15 entries in the Competition Section from Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, China/UK, Georgia/Kazakhstan, Iran, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, South Korea/France, Sri Lanka and Taiwan including two films from India. The competition jury was headed by the noted Director from Brazil Mr. Joao Batista de Andrade. Other members of the jury were Mr. Kenichi Okubu (Japan), Mr. Jean-Michel Frodon (France), Ms. Sarika (India) and Mr. Vic Sarin (Canada).

The Festival concluded today with the screening of the Spanish film ‘The Broken Embraces’, directed by Pedro Almodovar.

Dr. S. S. Sidhu, the Governor of Goa, while recalling the unforgettable memories of the 11-day mega event said that with new innovative beginnings at 40th edition of IFFI, this Festival will reach the level of Cannes, Toronto and Berlin Film Festivals. He said that cinema is a throbbing media to replicate human hopes and is a commercially viable industry, which offers opportunity of artistic and creative engagement as well as of employment.

Chief Guest at the closing ceremony, the Malayalam Film Actor Shri Mamooty said that Indian cinema industry is ‘not big only in quantity but is big also in quality’. It is ‘human language’ that the entire film industry in India speaks on celluloid even though it is a land of diversity in terms of language, culture and tradition. He exhorted the Indian film industry, which has made in roads into the Oscars to be at the top of world cinema soon.

Chief Minister of Goa, Shri Digambar Kamat in his remarks said that IFFI 2009 was a landmark event with introduction of many new sections like T-20 of Indian cinema, “Goa as a Celluloid Destination” with T-20 the 40th IFFI enabled people from all over the country to participate in the Festival by getting an opportunity to vote for 20 best Indian films. He said that Government of Goa is keen to develop the State as a hub of entertainment industry and introduction of ‘Goa as Celluloid Destination’ would go a long way in meeting this objective.

The Union Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting, Shri S. Jagathrakshakan said that film media catches imagination of people from every walk of life and, therefore, it is its responsibility to replicate common men’s aspiration. The industry does not only fulfils the entertainment needs of people but also is a major driving force of Indian economy with employment to large chunk of population. He appealed to all concerned to pool in their resources to make this industry stronger.

The Jury Chairperson Mr. Bastista de Andrade said that the Jury process took them to the various cultures from the all corners of globe. Decision was not easy but he expressed jury’s satisfaction over selection of award winning films.

Festival Director, Shri S. M. Khan thanked the film fraternity and his co-host for making the Festival as success. He said that the Festival received entries from all over the world and offered the delegates, media critic and film buffs to watch the best of Indian and world cinema.

The 11-day extravaganza, which began on November 23, with the screening of He Ping’s “Wheat” witnessed screening of 300 films from 47 countries, which was a real treat to watch. In the international section, a total of 145 films were shown in 18 categories. These included 54 in Cinema of the Wrold, 15 in the Competition, five in the Focus on Latin America. And 23 in the Country Focus. Films from Croatia, Estonia, Italy and Poland were screened under Country Focus section. The films of Gurinder Chadha, Manoel de Oliviera and Nonjee Nimibutr were screened in Retrospectives Section. Four films were shown in Film India Worldwide Besides there were special tributes to Joao Batista and Ronald Raber.

77 Indian movies including 44 in the Indian Panorama with 26 Feature and 18 Non Feature films were screened during the Festival. There was a section to commemorate 75 years of Assamese Cinema.

During the course of the Festival besides film shows, a host of films-related events like Film Bazaar, Master Class and Open Forum were also held to facilitate interaction and business meets in this sector.