Kannada short film Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know qualifies for Oscars 2025

Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know is produced by Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) and won the La Cinef at Cannes 2024.

Published on: Nov 4, 2024, 19:24:16 IST

By Neeshita Nyayapati

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The Kannada short film Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know, directed by Chidananda S Naik, has qualified for the Oscars 2025 in the Live Action Short Film category. The film was produced by the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), where Chidananda studied. (Also Read: 2025 Best animated feature Oscar predictions: Inside Out 2, The Wild Robot and other potential top runners revealed)

Sunflowers Were The First Ones To Know is directed by Chidananda S Naik.

Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know qualifies for Oscars

The short film Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know won first prize earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival’s La Cinef Selection. Indian folk stories and traditions inspire the 16-minute-long Kannada project. The film’s team includes Suraj Thakur as the cinematographer, Manoj V as the editor and Abhishek Kadam on sound design.

Winning award at Cannes

The La Cinef Jury at Cannes had commended the film for its illuminating storytelling and masterful direction, stating, “An illumination that, from the depths of the night, shines with humour and a keen sense of direction, the first prize is awarded to Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know by Chidananda S Naik.”

Chidananda said in a press note, “I have aspired to tell this story for as long as I can remember. Our goal was to recreate the experience of not merely hearing these stories but of genuinely living them—an experience I hope resonates with audiences around the globe.”

About Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know

The short film centres on an elderly woman who steals the village rooster, which causes sunlight to cease. A prophecy is invoked to restore order, and the woman is exiled from the village. The woman’s family undertakes a desperate mission to retrieve the rooster.

Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know is filmed at night and immerses the viewers into an Indian landscape. The film previously received acclaim on the festival circuit, including the Best Indian Competition award at the Bengaluru International Short Film Festival. It will now compete alongside the world's best short films.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeshita Nyayapati
Despite having a Master's degree in Journalism and over a decade of experience in print and digital media as a field reporter and sub-editor at organisations such as The Times of India and Reader's Digest, Neeshita Nyayapati remains a movie buff first and a Chief Content Producer second. She fell in love with movies in childhood and believes nothing matches the magic of watching a good film that moves you with a warm tub of popcorn in hand. Her love for writing about cinema follows that. Come Friday, you'll find her at her happy place, the movies, catching the latest rom-com or masala offering, for reviews or otherwise. As for the rest of the week, she's here reporting the juiciest news in Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi or bringing out the best of celebs in interviews. While her niche is Telugu cinema, Neeshita likes to dabble in a little bit of everything to stay up to date. From film announcements to scandals and hard news angles, she has explored it all. A good book, a comforting cup of hot chocolate, puppy kisses and a stunning beach view are all she needs to unwind. Her passion for biking and travelling has taken her to various places across the country. She has found peace in everything from the frozen lakes of Gangtok to the coffee plantations of Coorg and the dense forests of Bandipur, to the monasteries of Darjeeling. But no matter where she goes, Neeshita loves coming across inspiring and moving stories.Read More

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