K Viswanath Memorial Short Film Contest is a tribute to the auteur and thespian known for his masterful direction in a range of genres, from family dramas to social issues. Sri Kasinadhuni Viswanath Garu is particularly famous for his ability to capture the essence of Indian culture and tradition in his films, often featuring richly textured characters and exploring complex emotional themes. He directed classics such as Sankarabharanam, Swathi Muthyam, Sagara Sangamam, Sirivennela, and Subhalekha besides social dramas such as Kalam Marindi, O Seetha Katha, Mangalyaniki Maromudi. He also directed several hit films in Hindi such as Kaamchor, Sargam, Eeshwar, and Shubh Kamna. These films garnered critical acclaim and numerous awards, including several National Film Awards. In 2017, he was conferred the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Award, India’s highest award in the field of cinema. Sri K Viswanath Garu passed away on February 2nd earlier this year at the age of 92.
Back in April 2023, Indica Pictures invited entries from aspiring filmmakers including film school students who share a passion for cinema and a desire to showcase their talent on a global stage. We received over 1169 registrations from 11 different countries demonstrating the reach and impact of K Viswanath garu and his films. 177 films made the first cut and our Programming Team headed by Nikita Hattangady worked through them to shortlist 20 films, which, in turn, were reviewed by an expert panel consisting of filmmakers Sri Bharath Kamma garu (Dear Comrade), and Singer Parthu Nemani garu (anchor for the TV Series Viswanadhamrutham), Sri Kasinadhuni Nagendra garu, and Sri Vivek Athreya garu (Ante Sundaraniki) using originality, creativity, technical excellence, and emotional impact as the selection criteria.
“After months of hard work, we are thrilled to announce the 8 short films that made it to the finale. Besides seven Telugu-language shorts and one Hindi/Urdu film found their place among the final nominees. Two of the films were directed by women directors. It was our fortune that Viswanath gari son Sri K Nagendra Garu was able to join our team and provide his input to the entire process”, said Danji Thotapalli, Co-Founder of Indica Pictures, which is one of the platforms under the Indica organization.
The Final 8 Nominated Films are as follows-
- Ananya (Telugu – 27 mins) - Aishwarya Perambai
- Kittu Katha (Telugu – 21 mins) - Nikhil Kumar Reddy
- Sangamam (Telugu – 40 mins) - Naveen Gandhi
- Sivaagna (Telugu – 36 mins) - Shanmukha Karthik
- Sivaagnya (Telugu – 40 mins) - Sistla VMK
- Sreekaram (Telugu – 38 mins) - Srini Prabhala & Ram Mohan Komanduri
- Navarasa Madhanam (Telugu – 40 mins) - Prudhvi Raj Thumula
- The Imam (Hindi/Urdu – 40 mins) - Saba Mumtaz
The Final Nominated Short Films will now be viewed by a Grand Jury consisting of Sri Allu Aravind garu (Geetha Arts), Sri Shobu Yarlagadda garu (Arka Media), Smt. Manju Bhargavi garu (actress and Kuchipudi Danseuse), and Smt. Radikaa Sarathkumar (actress and Owner of Radaan Mediaworks) to select the Top 3 Winning Films that shall make them feel they were watching a K Viswanath film.
The Top 3 Winning Films will be announced and screened on November 8th, 2023 at the Prasad Preview Theater in Hyderabad. Each of the 3 filmmakers will be awarded a cash prize of Rs 5,00,000 each. Besides cash prizes, other awards for Best Actor, Best Child Actor, Best Production, Best Screenplay and Best Direction will also be awarded to the rest of the Final Nominated Films. Attendance at the event will be by invitation only.
