Chidanand S. Naik is an alumnus of the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) who directed the short film “Sunflowers were the first ones to know” with his team. The film won the Cannes La Cinéf Award for Best Short Film for a Course-Ending Film at the 77th Cannes Film Festival in France on May 24, 2024.
The story of the film is taken from a folk tale of Karnataka. In which an elderly woman steals the village’s famous and prized rooster. This creates chaos in the village and later the old woman and her family are ostracized from the village.

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FAQs
Who directed “SUNFLOWERS WERE THE FIRST ONES TO KNOW”?
Chidanand Naik
Who did the sound for the film “SUNFLOWERS WERE THE FIRST ONES TO KNOW”?
Abhishek Kadam
Which other FTII student film won an award at Cannes in the past four years?
CATDOG
What recognition did Chidanand S Naik receive before joining FTII?
Selected as one of the 75 Creative Minds at 53rd International Film Festival of India (IFFI)
What is ‘La Cinef’?
An official section of the Cannes festival encouraging new talents and recognizing films from film schools.
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