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.

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.

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