Thursday 28 Mar 2024

Goan short film creates ripples in global circuit

| NOVEMBER 09, 2019, 02:08 AM IST

#TGLife


An ordinary night starts to turn wildly dramatic for Ketan, a Maharashtrian migrant, when an anonymous attack on his car congregates excessive attention in the conformist Goan neighbourhood. Dreadful coldness knocks when the entire locality is calling out to Ketan and he’s stuck with his paramour in his small rented room while his pregnant wife is away at her parents’ house – this is what is shown to have happened in a short film shot in Goa - ‘A Cold Summer Night’ - that’s making rounds at various international film festivals for the past 14 months. 

The film that took nearly a month to make, is shot in Mapusa as the story narrated in the film also happens in Mapusa. The incident depicted in the film happens here on May 21, 2017. The shoot was done in two days and three nights. The film was screened at Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) and Sunaparanta Goa Centre for the Arts, both at Panaji. 

“One must watch this short film on the biggest screen possible and at least in 720 p HD with good sound. It’s mostly dark, so you won’t see anything if you drop your quality below HD,” suggests Keatan Jadhav, the lead actor (with the same name) in the film. Keatan recalls, “The film had its world premiere on August 2, 2018 at the 71st Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland under the ‘Pardi di Domani: International Competition’. 

The journey began in Europe, followed by our Asian Premiere at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea. The film then travelled over a period of 14 months to 35 film festivals and still counting,” reveals Keatan, adding, “Thanks to my director Yash Sawant and producer Arvin Vaz who gave me this chance. In fact, there are two more producers, Ajay Sawant and Dinkar Karapurkar in our team.”

Basically a theatre actor based in Goa works with Hauns Sangeet Natya Mandal Keatan admits, “This was my first time ‘camera facing experience.’  Written by Yash Sawant and produced in India, ‘A Cold Summer Night’ is in Marathi as well as Konkani with English subtitles. Apart from Keatan the cast includes Vinita Velip, Gauri Kamat, Rajiv Hede and Aresh Naik. Yash who is in Meghalaya currently, is excited that the film is making rounds in the festivals across the globe.

The awards it received are plenty. At Akbank Short Film Festival (2019) it was nominated for Best Short Film and Best Short Fiction Film. At Athens International Film and Video Festival, Ohio, USA (2019) it was nominee for Narrative Film Award and Best Short Film. 

At Batumi International Art House Film Festival (2018), it got Best Short Film Award and Best Short Film. At BOGO SHORTS Bogota Short film Festival (2018) the film was a nominee for Special Showcase - All You Need is Short. At Busan International Film Festival (2018) it was Wide Angle (Nominee) and Short Film Showcase. 

At Florence River to River Indian Film Festival (2018), it was Audience Choice (Nominee) and got Audience Award. At Locarno International Film Festival (2018) the film got Golden Pardino - Leopards of Tomorrow (Nominee) which was an international competition. 

At Molodist International Film Festival (2019) the film was winner of Special Jury Diploma. It was a Short Films Competition. Scythian Deer (Nominee) it was Best Short Film. 

At Salamindanaw Asian Film Festival (2018), Golden Durian was the Nominee as Best Asian Short. At Smita Patil Documentary and Short Film Festival (2018) it got Festival Award (Nominee), and was considered as the Best Short Film. At Third Eye Asian Film Festival (2018), it was again Best Short Film (Nominee) in Short Fiction Competition.  

Share this