Kolkata International Film Festival Concludes with ‘Stadoto’ Winning Top Honors

The 30th Kolkata International Film Festival (KIFF) concluded on Tuesday, with the Bulgarian film Stadoto, directed by Milko Lazarov, taking center stage in the international competition segment. The film was adjudged the winner in the International Competition on Innovation in Moving Images, earning the prestigious Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award and a prize money of ₹51 lakh.

Milko Lazarov, director of Stadoto, also received the Fipresci award in the international category for the film. Stadoto narrates the poignant story of a man’s love for his gifted daughter, who faces societal prejudices. Speaking about the acclaim, Lazarov said, “My film talks about freedom of the soul. Cinema has a universal language. Happy that it got so much acclaim here.”

The Best Director award in the international segment was conferred upon Endara, who received ₹21 lakh. Meanwhile, the Special Jury Award in the international section went to Alejandro Gerber Bicecci for his film Arillo de Hombre Muerto.

In the Indian Language Films category, Aaryan Chandra Prakash won the Best Director award for his film Aajoor, which was accompanied by a cash prize of ₹5 lakh. The Best Film in the same category was Lachhi by Krishnegowda, who received ₹10 lakh. The Special Jury Award in this section was awarded to Tanmaya Shekhar for Nukkad Naatak.

The Bengali Panorama section saw Abhijit Chowdhury's Dhrubor Aschorjo Jibon emerge as the winner, receiving a prize of ₹7.5 lakh. The Asian Select NETPAC Award for Best Film was given to Putulnama by Ranajit Ray. Additionally, the Best Indian Documentary Film award went to Bhabotosher Karkhana by Dipanjan Chowdhury.

The festival, which commenced on December 4, showcased 179 films from 29 countries.The KIFF continues to uphold its reputation as a global platform for cinematic excellence, bridging audiences and creators from around the world.