Tamil film Koozhangal wins prestigious Tiger Award at Rotterdam Film Festival 2021

Koozhangal (Pebbles) became the first Tamil film to win the coveted Tiger Award at the 50th Rotterdam Film Festival 2021 on February 7, 2021. 

The film has been directed by debutant director Vinothraj PS, who was overjoyed to have won the prestigious Tiger Award. He took to Twitter to share the news with the world and wrote that this is his 'dream come true' moment. 

He tweeted, "Feeling emotional!!! Pebbles won the Tiger Award 2021. Our Hard work, patience & Dream finally came true. Thank you all for your love and support."

Feeling emotional!!!Pebbles won the Tiger Award 2021. Our Hardwork, patience & Dream finally came true.Thank you all for your love and support.@IFFR @IFFRPRO @filmbazaarindia
@VigneshShivN #Nayanthara @Rowdy_Pictures @thisisysr @AmudhavanKar
@thecutsmaker @ParthiBDOP https://t.co/KSlvp44QtY

— Vinothraj PS (@PsVinothraj) February 8, 2021

Koozhangal was produced by Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan under their banner Rowdy Pictures. Vignesh Shivan took to Instagram to share a congratulatory video with Nayanthara and the entire Koozhangal team by his side. 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Vignesh Shivan (@wikkiofficial)

About Koozhangal 

•The international title of the Tamil film is Pebbles. It  won the prestigious Tiger Award in the competition section of the International Film Festival of Rotterdam.

•Directed by debutant director PS Vinothraj, the film stars newcomers Karuththadaiyan and Chella Pandi in the lead roles.  

•The film mainly explores the relationship of an alcoholic father and son while they go to get back the mother, who had run away from the house to escape abuse. The story is set in Arittapatti, a drought-hit village of Tamil Nadu.

•Koozhangal had premiered at the Rotterdam Film Festival on February 4, 2021.

The IFFR Jury called Pebbles "a lesson in pure cinema captivating us with its beauty and humour, despite its grim subject."

The official statement read that although the story deals with grueling poverty in the drought-ridden landscapes of southern India, it succeeded nonetheless in captivating the jury with its beauty and humour.

pic.twitter.com/V0irQAYtwz

— IFFR (@IFFR) February 8, 2021

Background

Koozhangal has become the second Indian film ever to have won the award. 

The first Indian film to have won the honour was Malayalam filmmaker Sanal Kumar Sasidharan's Sexy Durga in 2017.