Colombian drama Porfirio, directed by Alejandro Landes, was awarded the Golden Peacock for best film at the close of the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) Goa on Saturday night.

Produced by Francisco Aljure, the film tells the true story of man confined to a wheelchair after police shot him in the back. The Golden Peacock award came with a cash prize of $80,000.

The Silver Peacock for best director, which came with a cash prize of $30,000, went to Iran’s Asghar Farhadi for Nadir And Simon A Separation. Best actress went to Nadezhda Markina for her role in Russian drama Elena, directed by Andrei Zvyagintsev, while best actor went to Sasson Gabey for Israeli filmmaker Joseph Madmony’s Restoration. Both awards came with a cash prize of $20,000.

The special jury prize went to Salim Ahamed’s Abu, Son Of Adam, a Malayalam-language drama that was submitted as India’s entry to the Academy Awards. Ahamed said he would use the $30,000 prize money for his Oscar promotion.

The jury, headed by Indian filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan, also included US curator Laurence Kardish, Israeli filmmaker Dan Wolman, Iranian director Tahmineh Milani and Lee Yong Kwan, director of the Busan International Film Festival.  

This year, the government-run IFFI was moved out of the Directorate of Film Festivals (DFF) into an independent IFFI Directorate, reporting to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.

Speaking to Screen at the end of the festival, IFFI director Shankar Mohan said the move allows for longer planning periods as the DFF also organises several other events. For the 2012 edition, IFFI plans to announce its regulations in February and open the call for entries in April/May. Mohan was formerly DFF joint director and was appointed IFFI chief in March this year.

In addition to the international competition, IFFI highlights this year included Cinema of the World, Soccer in Cinema, retrospectives of the works of Luc Besson and Phillip Noyce and master classes with Noyce, Kardish and sound designer Resul Pookutty, amongst others.

The festival also featured sections on animation and 3D, with sponsors Real Image and Barco providing screening equipment, as Goa doesn’t have year-round 3D screens.

Besson’s The Lady closed the festival with both the director and star Michelle Yeoh in attendance.

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