'All We Imagine As Light' Becomes Indian Filmmaker's First Movie To Bag Grand Prix Award At Cannes, Three Other Honoured

With two filmmakers, an actress and a cinematographer winning top awards at the 77^th Cannes Film Festival, the year has been phenomenal for India's film industry.

Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine as Light was nominated for the Palme d'or, the highest award in the festival, but won the Grand Prix, the second position in the category.

It centers around the lives of two nurses and was produced in an Indo-French collaboration. This makes Kapadia the first Indian to bag this prestigious award.

Film and Television Institute of India's (FTII) student Chidananda S Naik bagged the first prize in the La Cinef section for Sunflowers were the first ones to know, a 15-minute short film based on a Kannada folklore.

Cinematographer Santosh Sivan became the first Asian to be awarded the prestigious Pierre Angénieux Tribute award in recognition of his "career and exceptional quality of work".

Another individual who made history at Cannes is Anasuya Sengupta as she became the first ever Indian to win the Best Actress award for her performance in The Shameless in the ‘Un Certain Regard’ category.

Another independent film maker who shines at Cannes was Maisam Ali, also a FTII alumnus. His film In Retreat was screened at the ACID Cannes sidebar programme, a first for an Indian film.

The Festival celebrated the work of world-famous Director Shyam Benegal as his Manthan was showcased at Cannes in the classic section after 48 years of its release in India.