Kannada films win big at the 63rd National Awards

To be recognized by the government is an amazing honour: Raam Reddy
Thithi, the Kannada film made by debutant filmmaker Raam Reddy, has been the toast of film festivals, winning accolades and praise in equal measure from places as diverse as Locarno and Marrakech. The team is now elated that the film has been chosen as the Best Kannada Film at the 63rd National Awards. Raam says, 'We feel blessed that we've been recognized everywhere we've been to.But to be recognized by the government is an amazing honour. What's also heartening is that this recognition comes around the time when we are planning to release the film commercially.' Raam says that it was during the previous edition of the Mumbai film festival that he found people interested in ensuring that Thithi released commercially. 'Venkatesh and Rana Daggubati were present at the screening and their production house will help us with the release, first in Karnataka and then across the country. Rana, in fact, has been in touch and helping us out,' he says. The filmmaker says that he is happy that the idea of commercial and non-commercial films is fading and people are accepting all kinds of stories. Raam also lets us in on another feat that the film recently achieved. 'Thithi is only the second film from India to be screened at the Museum of Modern Art in New York after the Marathi film Court. We're excited that the film is garnering equal appreciation at every screening,' he signs off.
Win for Bengaluru documentary on football whizkids from Austin Town slum
Filmmaker Jacob Varghese of Savaari and Prithvi fame has bagged his second National Award, when his film Dribbling With Their Future won the award for Best Documentary for Adventure and Exploration at the 63rd National Awards. Shot in English and Kannada, Jacob tells us that this film is special for him because he has followed a group of football whizkids from the Austin Town slum, on their journey to win international acclaim. 'We have documented the journey of a group of slum children from Austin Town whose passion for football has helped them realize their dream when they cross hurdles to travel to China to play the Beijing football cup and came back winning the runners-up trophy,' says Jacob, who adds that this emotional journey of the children ' who got to live their dream and participate in a tournament outside the country ' is something very few can live. Jacob had previously won the Best First Non-Feature Film in the 54th National Awards for the Malayalam film Andhiyum.
Rajkumar biography bags an award too
Senior journalist Doddahulluru Rukkoji, who wrote the two-volume biography Dr Rajkumar Samagra Charitre (Dr Rajkumar, A Complete Biography), bagged the 63rd National Film Award in the Best Book on Cinema category. The two books weigh over 10 kgs and are said to have over 8,730 exclusive photos of the late matinee idol.