CICFF Golden Fox Award Event
Winning the fox : an Insignia
"The frustrating part of it is that you're generally known for what you did last. I've had the privilege of doing some very cool independent films that, a lot of the time, the general public doesn't see unless you're at a film festival or you're into that kind of movie" - Hayden Panettiere Article by Nabadipa Talukder
Being staged annually in Kolkata, is the prestigious Golden Fox Awards organized by the Calcutta International Cult Film Festival presented by HLC studios and Human Lab Corporation - The Film Company, comprising of a gala of events ranging from film screenings, award ceremonies for winning films in different categories, interactive sessions of famous filmmakers from across the globe with media, poets and various other eminent personalities and artists where independent filmmakers can forecast their views and agendas related to filmmaking. This two-day extravaganza organized by HLC focuses mainly on the recognition of good cult cinema and portrayal of filmmakers and their works for the audience and related film personals. We received submissions of more than 5000 films from 130 countries and around 100 delegates from all over the world mainly US, France, Germany, China, Japan, Norway, and Azerbaijan and screened 75 films from 50 countries. We had judges from 30 countries who intricately selected the best films that would receive the awards. Hosted at Rotary Sadan, the ceremony begins with red carpet media coverage with interactions carried by notable newspapers of the country like The Times of India, Telegraph, The Statesman, Dainik Jagran, Bharatmitra, The Eco of India and TV channels like ETV, Channel 10, Kolkata TV etc, followed by the inauguration ceremony. The program was inaugurated by Dadasaheb Phalke Award-winning veteran actor Soumitra Chatterjee by lighting the lamp followed by an opening speech welcoming all the attendees and filmmakers from all over the world, where he highlights how it was such an honor for him to be a part of such a great journey and asked to continue to participate in and promulgate the objectives and spirit of this organization. [embed]https://youtu.be/VdsRg5gpeiI[/embed] Festival director and COO, Victor Eustaquio, then explains the significance of the festival and points out the challenges faced in showcasing such a wide range of film exhibition in Kolkata and how it has been such a success. He goes on to express his gratitude to all the filmmakers who made it to Kolkata to attend the festival. The award ceremony begins with its first award, Lifetime Achievement Award to actor Soumitra Chatterjee followed by his thanking speech. Amongst other eminent personalities was Bangladeshi poet, Asad Chowdhury, actor Mumtaz Sorcar, social worker and Noble Peace Nominee Sulata Mitra Sarkar, actor Shantilal Mukherjee and Deputy director of the Film division of West Bengal Mala Mitra. [embed]https://youtu.be/LjUNjYbdLa4[/embed] The films were screened over a span of 2 days in two auditoriums. Day 1, alongside the film screening, PIAZZE DI CINEMA, an International film market organized by HLC pictures was conducted that enabled filmmakers to propose their films to international film distributers. Besides, a food fest kept everyone rejuvenated and refreshed. A cocktail party was hosted later in the evening on the first day ending the day with a sumptuous dinner. Day 2 saw various cultural events including dance performances and musical performances by various indie artists side by side the movie screenings as well as the award event. The an International jury board carefully scrutinized films from each category and selected the best of the lot to be awarded the Golden Fox Awards. The awards were given away followed by a press conference for the winners and a closing ceremony.
This is how we saw the end to an explicitly arranged film fiesta, where jovial interactions amongst film personalities and upcoming filmmakers nourished and enlightened them upfront about good filmmaking. the organizers were immensely impressed by the respond made from all ends and wished all the attendees great success in their works and looking forward to getting together once again in the coming year.
GLIMPSES OF THE EVENT
Dr. Nabadipa Talukder is a doctor by profession with a passion for creative writing and has been into digital content writing for almost 5 years now. She practiced as a dental professional for two years in Kolkata before she quit her job in order to pursue a career in writing. Nabadipa was exposed to the freedom to write for various fronts which opened up her mind and introduced her to the world of screenplay and script writing. She wishes to travel and understand various cultures and wishses to write their stories.
