The short film, Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know, directed by Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) student Chidanand S Naik, has qualified for the Oscars 2025 in the live action short film category. The film has been produced by FTII.

The note on FTII’s official Instagram page can be read: “Sunflowers were the first to know”, a film by FTII students, officially qualifies for the 2025 Oscars in the Live Action Short Film category! The film’s poignant and The intense story centers on an elderly woman who steals a village cock.”

“Made as part of the final year exercise, the film has won several awards this year including La Cinef – Cannes 2024. This qualification comes after winning at the Bengaluru International Short Film Festival. Congratulations to the entire student team, Mr. Chidananda Naik (Direction), Sooraj Thakur (Camera), Manoj V (Editing) and Abhishek Kadam (Sound),” read the post.

To keep an eye:

For those who are unaware, The film wins La Cinef’s first prize for Best Short at Cannes 2024The film festival allocated a grant of 15,000 euros for the first prize.

Sunflowers Were the First Ones to Know is a 16-minute short film. It revolves around the story of a village where an elderly woman steals a rooster, leading to chaos in the village. To bring the rooster back, a prophecy is enacted, sending the old woman’s family into exile.