Kautik International Film Festival

 

Former Uttarakhand CM /former Maharashtra & Goa governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari addresses the gathering at Kautik 2023.

On the banks of the Ganges

 

Parmarth Niketan Ashram, P.O. Swargashram, Rishikesh (Himalayas), Uttarakhand – 249304, India.

Organisers

Rajesh “Kaku” Shah

 FTII product in cinematography, with degrees in science and law, and an MBA. He has been the chief assistant cameraman of films such as Naseem, Kabhi Pass Kabhi Fail, Choo Lenge Akash, Foto, Ek Hasina Thi, Johnny Gaddar, Naina, 3 Idiots, Ek Choti Si Love Story, and Lage Raho Munna Bhai.

Shalini Shah

CEO of Akriti Productions & a National Film Award winner. She assisted Saeed Akhtar Mirza on his National Award winning film ‘Naseem’ and has done newsreels such as Uchalia Tribe for Films Division. She has served on the jury of the International Film Festival of India, and the National Film Awards.

Christopher Dalton

Film critic. Festival director, Mumbai International Student Film Festival. Artistic director, Chalachitram National Film Festival. Editor,  Journal of Indian Cinema. Founder, Cinema Society of India, & House of Illusions. He has served on the jury of MG University, and the National Film Awards.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami

Felicitated by Kautik Festival Director Rajesh “Kaku” Shah

Jury | 2023

The 7th edition had 6 jury panels, each comprising 3 members.

Eleonora Olivia Bălănescu

Eleonora Olivia Bălănescu

Jury — Best Feature Film

Associate Professor at the Faculty of Letters, University of Craiova, Romania. Her research covers several areas across the humanities, including gender studies, postcolonialism and exile.

Surendar Chawdhary

Surendar Chawdhary

Jury — Best Feature Film

Former professor of Film Direction at the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII),

Sudhir Tandon

Sudhir Tandon

Jury — Best Feature Film

PSBT mentor /evaluator. Associate director: The Inner Path Festival of Buddhist Art, Film & Philosophy. Recipient: Commonwealth Broadcasting Association’s Miller Award.

Katharina Suckale

Katharina Suckale

Jury — Best Short Fiction Film

German film producer with over 30 years of experience in the business and art of feature film, TV, advertising and corporate film production, right from conception to development, production, sales and distribution stages.

Deepa Ganesh

Deepa Ganesh

Jury — Best Short Fiction Film

Professor, & Executive Director of the Centre for Visual and Performing Arts at RV University. Worked with The Hindu for 20 years as Deputy Editor, heading the culture and education pages. Published over 1500 newspaper articles. Served as the Editor of the Karnataka Sahitya Academy literary journal, Aniketana. Edited ten books.

Umamaheswara Rao

Umamaheswara Rao

Jury — Best Short Fiction Film

Chairman of Dadasaheb Phalke School of Film and Media. Founder of Centre for New Perspectives in Film and Media.  National Film Award and Nandi Award winning filmmaker. Has served on the jury of the National Film Awards, the Indian film entry for the Oscars, the Andhra Pradesh State Awards, and the UNESCO Ladli Awards.

Beena Paul

Beena Paul

Jury — Best Documentary Film

Former artistic director of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). Former vice chairperson of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy. And co-founder of the Women in Cinema Collective.

Joshy Joseph

Joshy Joseph

Jury — Best Documentary Film

Winner of 7 National Film Awards; 6 for filmmaking, and 1 for Best Writing on Cinema. Author of 3 books in Malayalam. Officially associated while shooting Ang Lee’s Life of Pi.

Vinta Nanda

Vinta Nanda

Jury — Best Documentary Film

Writer-director-producer of hit TV series Tara, Raahein, Raahat, Aur Phir Ek Din and Miilee. Trustee at CORO India. Former Director Programming at Zee Network. Director of the documentary Shout, and the critically acclaimed White Noise, starring Rahul Bose and Koel Purie. Editor of The Daily Eye.

Luiza Budejko

Luiza Budejko

Jury — Best Animation Film

Winner of the House of Illusions award for Best Student Short Fiction Film at Kautik 2023 and the Best Short Fiction Film award at the Mumbai International Student Film Festival. Graduate of the Gdynia Film School, as well as the Film Pre-School at the Andrzej Wajda Master School of Directing and the Academy of Music.

Ratan S’il Sarma

Ratan S’il Sarma

Jury — Best Animation Film

Ratan Sil Sarma is primarily a film colorist and film editor. He started out as a promo producer for such places as Network 18 (3 years), before donning the role of the production head at Focus Hifi (9 years). He presently owns his own post production company, Box Digital India. His directorial debut won the Best Children’s Film at the Prag Cine Awards.

Debajit Changmai

Debajit Changmai

Jury — Best Animation Film

Voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Science (OSCAR) since 2018. Winner of a National Film Award & an Assamese State Film Award. Re-recording mixer of films such as Sam Bahadur, Brahmastra Part One: Shiva, Gangubai Kathiawadi, Kaabil, Dangal,  Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Krrish 3, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, & Shootout at Wadala.

Alvaro Turrion

Alvaro Turrion

Jury — House of Illusions awards

Award-winning Spanish musician—keyboard player of the Lie Detectors band, winner of the Best Original Soundtrack Award for ‘Cirilo’ at the Videocorto Nettuno Festival, and music composer of ‘Magoado’, nominated at the International Film Festival of India. He is presently cutting an album with Spanish superstar singers.

Dipsikha Bhagawati

Dipsikha Bhagawati

Jury — House of Illusions awards

Writes on cinema and literature in a variety of journals and newspapers, and is a Govt. of Assam & British Council teacher holding a PhD on TS Eliot. She is the granddaughter of Uday Chandra Bhagawati, a doyen and one of the pioneers of the erstwhile NE traveling drama troupes.

Yashodhara Katkar

Yashodhara Katkar

Jury — House of Illusions awards

Former principal of LN Welingkar Institute of Management.

Sreehari Nair

Sreehari Nair

Jury — Film Critics Circle of India awards

Reviews contemporary Hindi, Malayalam, and Tamil films for Rediff. Previously, he reviewed for the Huffington Post.

Amartya Acharya

Amartya Acharya

Jury — Film Critics Circle of India awards

Reviews films for High on Films, Digital Mafia Talkies, and Film Fugitives. Additionally, he does film podcasts.

Darshana Goswami

Darshana Goswami

Jury — Film Critics Circle of India awards

Assistant professor who did her PhD on Doris Lessing and authored the book ‘Tiny Individuals in Doris Lessing’s Fiction.’ She has also done research projects on Nirupama Borgohain, Mamoni Raisom Goswami, and Amrita Pritam; and edited two books, ‘Verve’ and ‘Cascade.’ A regularly contributor to journals and newspapers, she has a deep inclination towards folklore, modern and post-modern fiction, cinema, and gender studies.

Jury | 2022

The 6th edition had 10 jury panels, each comprising 3 members.

Beena Paul

Beena Paul

Jury — Best Feature Film

Former artistic director of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). Former vice chairperson of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy. And co-founder of the Women in Cinema Collective.

Surendar Chawdhary

Surendar Chawdhary

Jury — Best Feature Film

Former professor of Film Direction at the Film & Television Institute of India (FTII),

Yogesh Mathur

Yogesh Mathur

Jury — Best Feature Film

Former HOD of the Film Editing Department of FTII.

CK Murlidharan

CK Murlidharan

Jury — Best Cinematography

Cinemagrapher of Panipat, Mohenjo Daro, PK, 3 Idiots, Johnny Gaddaar, Lage Raho Munna Bhai…

Anil Mehta

Anil Mehta

Jury — Best Cinematography

Cinematographer of Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna, Badlapur, Wake Up Sid, Lagaan, Khamoshi, Saathiya, Veer-Zaara…

Sunny Joseph

Sunny Joseph

Jury — Best Cinematography

Cinematographer of Alicinte Anweshanam, Vasthuhara, Piravi…

Nishant Radhakrishnan

Nishant Radhakrishnan

Jury — Best Editing

Editor of Dhobi Ghat. First assistant editor of Ghajini.

Suresh Pai

Suresh Pai

Jury — Best Editing

Double National Award winning film editor. Editorof Page 3, Jhankaar Beats, Raghu Romeo, Jhalki, Bheja Fry, RK/RKAY.

Prashant Naik

Prashant Naik

Jury — Best Editing

Triple National Award winning film editor. HOD of editing dept. at Whistling Woods.

Swanand Kirkire

Swanand Kirkire

Jury — Best Screenplay

Dialogues writer /lyricist /actor. Triple National Award winner: Best Supporting Actor, for Chumbak; & Best Lyrics, for 3 Idiots, and Lage Raho Munna Bhai.

Charudutt Acharya

Charudutt Acharya

Jury — Best Screenplay

TV series writer. Known for Aranyak, Dum Maaro Dum, and Haqeeqat.

Aleksandra Biernacka

Aleksandra Biernacka

Jury — Best Screenplay

Film curator /editor /journalist, presently with the Gdynia Film School. Has introduced films to the Venice Film Festival, Berlinale, and the Oscars.

Chandraprakash Dwivedi

Chandraprakash Dwivedi

Jury — Best Actor /Actress

Padma Shri winning actor-director. Donned the titular role in the TV series ‘Chanakya’

Simone Mariani

Simone Mariani

Jury — Best Actor /Actress

Actor-director. Winner of the Best Italian Docu at Roma CineDoc, and Critics Prize at Akab Film Festival. Acted in “Inferno” starring Tom Hanks.

Mukesh Tiwari

Mukesh Tiwari

Jury — Best Actor /Actress

Actor. Known for roles in Golmaal, The Legend of Bhagat Singh, Chennai Express, Gangaajal, and Dilwale.

Virendra Saini

Virendra Saini

Jury — Best Short Fiction

Former FTII director. Double National Film Award winner; one for cinematography, and another for film direction. Cinematographer of Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro, Katha, and Sparsh.

Zachary Coffin

Zachary Coffin

Jury — Best Short Fiction

American Actor/ writer /director. Has served as judge for Miss South Asia & Miss India America pageant, & President of the Barnard/Columbia Filmmakers Club started by Brian De Palma.

Manik Ratna

Manik Ratna

Jury — Best Short Fiction

Kathmandu based filmmaker. FTII-Pune in film direction batch of 1989-1992.

Sudhir Tandon

Sudhir Tandon

Jury — Best Documentary

PSBT mentor /evaluator. Associate director: The Inner Path Festival of Buddhist Art, Film & Philosophy. Recipient: Commonwealth Broadcasting Association’s Miller Award.

Mike Pandey

Mike Pandey

Jury — Best Documentary

Triple Green Oscar Award, National Film Award, and V. Shantaram Lifetime Achievement Award winning documentary filmmaker.

Naresh Bedi

Naresh Bedi

Jury — Best Documentary

Padmi Shri, Green Oscar Award, Earth Watch Award of National Geographic Society, & Eastman Kodak Award winning wildlife photographer/cinematographer.

Sudheer Palsane

Sudheer Palsane

Jury — Best Animation

Cinematographer of M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story; Baby; Vihir; and Ko: Yad, Recipient of National Film Award for Best Cinematography, and Asia Pacific Screen Award for Achievement in Cinematography.

Sourav Sarangi

Sourav Sarangi

Jury — Best Animation

Nominee for the Cinema Fairbindet Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival. Winner of two National Film Awards, and a Golden Kapok Award at the Guangzhou International Documentary Film Festival.

Resul Pookutty

Resul Pookutty

Jury — Best Animation

Oscar, BAFTA, National Film Award, Apsara (Producers Guild of India), CAS (Cinema Audio Society, USA) and Golden Reel (Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA) winning sound designer, best known for his work in Slumdog Millionaire.

Saibal Chatterjee

Saibal Chatterjee

Jury — Film Critics Circle of India awards

Former festival director of the Pondicherry International Film Festival. National Award winning film critic. Author of a book on Gulzar. Co-editor of a book on films. And documentary scriptwriter. He has been a staff writer of The Telegraph, The Times of India, and Outlook; the editor of TV World; a consultant to Zee Premiere, and a key member of the editorial board of Encyclopaedia Brittanica’s Encyclopaedia of Hindi Cinema.

Piyush Roy

Piyush Roy

Jury — Film Critics Circle of India awards

Winner of a National Film Award (India); and the Sir William Darling Memorial Prize by the University of Edinburgh, the Sue Grant Service Award, and the Silver Award at the Shine! British Council International Student Awards (all UK). He’s a former editor of Stardust, advisor of the Global University Students Film Festival (Hong Kong), and festival director of the Edinburgh Festival of Indian Films and Docs.

MK Raghavendra

MK Raghavendra

Jury — Film Critics Circle of India awards

Film/literary scholar, theorist, critic and writer who has authored six volumes on cinema, and contributed to numerous newspapers and periodicals in India and outside. National Award winning film critic. Co-founder of the film journal ‘Deep Focus’. Founder-editor of ‘Phalanx’. And  member of both FCCI and FIPRESCI. He has served twice on the jury of the Indian Panorama.

Tigmanshu Dhulia

Tigmanshu Dhulia

Jury — House of Illusions awards

Director of Paan Singh Tomar; and Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster. Dialogue writer of Dil Se.. Actor in Gangs of Wasseypur. Casting director of Bandit Queen. Recipient of Stardust Award, Filmfare Award, and National Film Award.

Sunil Puranik

Sunil Puranik

Jury — House of Illusions awards

Former chairman of the Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy, which organises the Bangalore International Film Festival. Has served on the jury of the National Film Awards and IFFI. Recipient: Kempegowda Award, Aryabhata Award, Chitra Rasikara Prashasti Award, Indira Priyadarshini Award, and Karnataka State Film Award.

Umamaheshwara Rao

Umamaheshwara Rao

Jury — House of Illusions awards

Chairman of Dadasaheb Phalke School of Film and Media. Founder of Centre for New Perspectives in Film and Media.  National Film Award and Nandi Award winning filmmaker. Has served on the jury of the National Film Awards, the Indian film entry for the Oscars, the Andhra Pradesh State Awards, and the UNESCO Ladli Awards.

Contact

festival.director.kautik@gmail.com

+91 – 94113 44136 | Kaku
+91 – 807 577 6287 | Dalton

 

Early Bird Submissions

Feb 10 – Feb 29
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