Don Palathara

Last updated

Don Palathara
Born
Don Chacko Palathara

(1986-08-22) 22 August 1986 (age 37)
Karunapuram, Idukki district,Kerala, India
OccupationFilmmaker
Years active2015-present

Don Palathara is a film director, screenwriter, and documentary filmmaker from Kerala, India. [1] [2] [3] Known for working on small budgets, his films are expositions of local Kerala culture and study on the human nature. [1] [4] Palathara's films have gained accolades at several international film festivals, including Moscow International Film Festival, [5] International Film Festival Rotterdam [6] and International Film Festival of Kerala. [7]

Contents

Early life

Don Palathara was born in Karunapuram, Idukki district, Kerala. [8] [9] He subsequently migrated to Sydney, Australia, where he received a diploma from the Academy of Film, Theatre and Television in Sydney, which was formerly known as the International Film School Sydney, before its merger with Actors College of Theatre and Television. [10] [11]

Career

Palathara had made several short films and documentaries, before venturing into feature films. [12] In 2015, his first movie, Shavam, was released. Made on a small budget, the film was noted for its atypical filmmaking choices, as it was made entirely in black and white, used location recording of sound (unusual for Indian movies), and a large number of inexperienced actors. [13] The film, which is a satire exploring aspects of human character and set at the scene of a funeral, was well received in international film festivals, and garnered positive responses locally as well. [14] When the film was released, it was distributed using Kazhcha Film Forum's Cinema Vandi, an alternative film distribution mechanism [15] [16] Later, Shavam was presented on Netflix and MUBI. [17]

In 2017, Palathara wrote, directed, produced, and edited his second feature film, Vith. The movie was financed through crowdfunding platforms, including Kickstarter and from the proceeds of Shavam, a method of film finance rapidly gaining popularity amongst younger filmmakers. [18] [19]

His next film, 1956, Central Travancore, wasr premiered at Moscow International Film Festival. [11] [20] [21] [22] In 2022, '1956, Central Travancore' bagged FFSI's John Abraham Award for the best film of 2020. [23]

In 2020, Palathara made the film Santhoshathinte Onnam Rahasyam featuring Rima Kallingal and Jitin Puthanchery, which is an 85-min single-take car ride taken by a young journalist and an aspiring actor. [24] [25] This film was later nominated for Golden George for best film at the 43rd Moscow International Film Festival. [26]

His Everything Is Cinema, a relationship drama presented in first person narrative, featuring only Sherin Catherine had its premiere at the 50th International Film Festival Rotterdam in the Cinema Regained section. [27] [28]

In 2022, he made FAMILY, which stars Vinay Forrt, Divya Prabha, Nilja K Baby, Mathew Thomas, Sajitha Madathil etc. The film is an official selection at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. [29]

In 2023, BAFTA honoured Palathara along with nine other film professionals by selecting them for the breakthrough program in India. [30]

Filmography

Year(s)TitleDirectorProducerEditorWriterReference
2015 Shavam YesNoNoYes [1]
2017VithYesYesYesYes [1]
2019 1956, Central Travancore YesNoYesYes [1]
2021Everything Is CinemaYesYesYesYes [31]
2021 Santhoshathinte Onnam Rahasyam YesNoYesYes [32]
2022 Family YesNoYesYes [33]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Padmarajan</span> Indian film maker and author

Padmarajan Padmanabhan Pillai, better known as P. Padmarajan was an Indian film maker, screenwriter and author who was known for his works in Malayalam literature and Malayalam cinema. He was the founder of a new school of film making in Malayalam cinema, along with Bharathan and K. G. George, in the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bhavana (actress)</span> Indian film actress

Karthika Menon, better known by her stage name Bhavana, is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in Malayalam and Kannada language films in addition to Tamil and Telugu films. She is the recipient of two Kerala State Film Awards and a Filmfare Award.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rahman (actor)</span> Indian actor (born 1967)

Rashin Rahman is an Indian actor. He has worked in around 200 films, primarily in Malayalam cinema, in addition to Tamil, Hindi and Telugu cinema, and has won several awards. In Tamil and Telugu cinema, he is also known by the screen names Raghuman and Raghu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indrans</span> Indian actor

K. Surendran, better known by his stage name Indrans, is an Indian actor and former costume designer, who appears in Malayalam films. He started his film career as a costume designer and actor in 1981 and got a breakthrough in 1994 with the comedy movie CID Unnikrishnan B.A., B.Ed. Indrans was popular for his comedy roles in the 1990s and 2000s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dileep</span> Indian actor and producer

Gopalakrishnan Padmanabhan, better known by his stage name Dileep, is an Indian actor, producer, and businessman who predominantly works in the Malayalam film industry. He has acted in more than 150 films and has won several awards, including four Kerala State Film Awards and one Filmfare Awards South.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ranjith Sankar</span> Indian film director

Ranjith Sankar is an Indian Filmmaker who works in Malayalam films. He started his movie career with the 2009 thriller film Passenger. He launched his production house Dreams N Beyond in 2012 and his distribution house Punyalan Cinemas in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renganaath Ravee</span> Indian sound designer

Renganaath Ravee is an Indian sound designer, sound editor and documentary filmmaker.

Vinay Kumar, professionally credited as Vinay Forrt is an Indian film and stage actor. He is from Fort Kochi, Kerala and has a postgraduate in acting from Film and Television Institute of India in Pune, India. He made his cinematic debut in the Malayalam film Ritu (2009).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tovino Thomas</span> Indian actor, film producer (born 1989)

Tovino Thomas is an Indian actor and film producer who predominantly works in Malayalam films. He made his debut in 2012 with the film Prabhuvinte Makkal. His breakthrough roles were in the films ABCD (2013), 7th Day (2014) and Ennu Ninte Moideen (2015). He starred as the titular character in the Netflix superhero film Minnal Murali (2021).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">P. F. Mathews</span> Indian writer (born 1960)

Poovankery Francis Mathews is an Indian author of Malayalam literature and a screenplay writer in Malayalam film and Television industries. A Winner of a National Film Award for Best Screenplay and multiple State television and other literary awards including the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Novel and Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for Story, he is known for his original style of writing. Literary works such as Muzhakkam, Kadalinte Manam, Adiyalapretham, Iruttil Oru Punyalan, and Chaavunilam and screenplays such as Sararaanthal, Mikhayelinte Santhathikal, Megham, Kutty Srank and Ee.Ma.Yau are his major works.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Divya Prabha</span> Indian actress

Divya Prabha is an Indian actress who predominantly appears in Malayalam and Tamil language films. She gained wider attention for her roles in the films Take Off and Thamaasha. In 2015, she won Kerala State Television Award for Best Second Actress for her performance in the TV serial Eswaran Sakshiyayi. She was nominated for Best Actress at the 2022 Locarno International Film Festival in the international competition section for the movie Ariyippu directed by Mahesh Narayanan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanskrit cinema</span> Indian filmmaking in Sanskrit language

Sanskrit cinema is a part of Indian cinema with only 15 films made since 1983, and there is no separate industry for Sanskrit films.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kazhcha-Niv Independent Film Festival</span> Film festival in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India

The Kazhcha-Niv Independent Film Festival (KNIFF) is a film festival for independent cinema in India held annually in Thiruvananthapuram. The festival debuted in 2017, and is hosted by Kazhcha Chalachithra Vedi, a local film society, in collaboration with Niv Art Centre, an Art and Cultural society in New Delhi. The festival is held in December parallel to the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK).

Bilathikuzhal is a 2018 Indian Malayalam-language film directed by Vinu Kolichal.

<i>Santhoshathinte Onnam Rahasyam</i> 2021 Indian Malayalam film by Don Palathara

Santhoshathinte Onnam Rahasyam is a 2021 Malayalam film directed by Don Palathara starring Jitin Puthenchery and Rima Kallingal. The film was premiered at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) in Thiruvananthapuram on 21 February 2021. This is a first of its kind experimental movie in Malayalam film industry as the entire movie is of an 85 minute single shot. The film follows a car ride taken by a young journalist and an aspiring actor. The film was released in Neestream and six other OTT Platforms in July 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jitin Puthenchery</span> Indian actor

Jitin Puthenchery is an Indian film actor and assistant director who works predominantly in the Malayalam film industry. He is the son of popular Malayalam lyricist and poet Girish Puthenchery.

1956, Central Travancore is a 2019 Malayalam-language period drama film written, directed and edited by Don Palathara and produced by Abhilash S. Kumar under Artbeat studios. The film stars Assif Yogi, Jain Andrews, Krishnan Balakrishnan and Kani Kusruti in lead roles. It features a musical score by Basil CJ. Cinematography was handled by Alex Joseph.

Family is an Indian Malayalam-Language drama film directed, written and edited by Don Palathara and co-written by Sherin Chatherine. The film premiered at the 52nd International Film Festival of Rotterdam (IFFR) on 28 January 2023. The film was also screened at 14th Bengaluru International Film Festival 2023. The film is produced by Sanita Chittilappilly and Anto Chittilappilly through their production company Newton Cinema. It features Vinay Forrt, Divya Prabha, Abhija Sivakala, Nilja K Baby and Mathew Thomas in pivotal roles.

Newton Cinema is a film production company founded in 2020 by Anto Chittilappilly and Sanita Chittilappilly. It has offices in Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Mumbai and Kochi. Newton Cinema has produced two feature films- Family and Paradise and two short films- Lalanna's Song and KISS since its inception.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Don Palathara's Shavam, Vith And 1956, Central Travancore Are Observational Tracts Filled With Gorgeous "Human Landscapes"". Film Companion. 13 October 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  2. ↑ "Don Palathara". nettv4u. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  3. ↑ "Two movies by filmmaker Don Palathara to be screened at IFFK". The Week. Retrieved 30 December 2020.
  4. ↑ "Wanted to focus on the little things, says 1956, Central Travancore director Don Palathara". Cinestaan. Archived from the original on 9 November 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  5. ↑ "Don Palathara's 1956, Central Travancore to premiere at MIFF". The New Indian Express. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  6. ↑ "Don Palathara's Everything is Cinema to premiere at Rotterdam festival". Times of India. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  7. ↑ "Don Palathara's two upcoming films selected for 25th IFFK". Cinema Express. Retrieved 25 December 2020.
  8. ↑ "Don Palathara Interviewed by Arun A.K." bomb magazine.
  9. ↑ "Vith". tao films – The art of film. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  10. ↑ "The International Film School Sydney is now known as AFTT".
  11. 1 2 Menon, Anasuya (2 August 2019). "The story of a people's psyche". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  12. ↑ "Preview of Shavam on Saturday". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  13. ↑ Gopalakrishnan, Aswathy (7 August 2017). "Spirit At A Funeral: Indie Filmmaker Don Palathara's 'Shavam' Peeks Into A Grief-Stricken Family". Silverscreen.in. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  14. ↑ "ശവം - മരണവീടിന്‍റെ മരണഡോക്യുമെന്‍റേഷൻ". Samayam Malayalam (in Malayalam). 29 November 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  15. ↑ "Shavam, far from a lifeless affair". The Hindu. 26 November 2015. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  16. ↑ M.K, Nidheesh (19 March 2018). "'S Durga' makers to crowdsource screenings in Kerala". Livemint. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  17. ↑ "Award winning Malayalam film 'Shavam' by Don Palathara now streams in Netflix". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  18. ↑ "Don Palathara's Vith is built on the conflict". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  19. ↑ Shekar, Anjuna (28 May 2018). "Crowdfunding a dream". www.thenewsminute.com. Retrieved 13 June 2019.
  20. ↑ Staff Reporter (5 November 2019). "Don Palathara's period movie selected for Film Bazaar". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  21. ↑ "Don Palathara's 1956, Central Travancore heads to Goa". Cinema Express . Retrieved 25 April 2020.
  22. ↑ "'1956, Central Travancore', Malayalam film on early migrants to Idukki, heads to MIFF". The Week. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  23. ↑ Staff Reporter (4 July 2022). "FFSI's John Abraham awards announced". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  24. ↑ "Don Palathara's next is Santhoshathinte Onnam Rahasyam". Cinema Express. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  25. ↑ "Rima Kallingal, Jitin Puthanchery star in Don Palathara's new film". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 20 October 2020.
  26. ↑ "JOYFUL MYSTERY :: Film catalogue :: Moscow International Film Festival". www.moscowfilmfestival.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 5 July 2022.
  27. ↑ "Don Palathara's Everything is Cinema to premiere at Rotterdam festival". Times of India. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  28. ↑ "Don Palathara's 'Everything is Cinema' to be screened at the International Film Festival Rotterdam". The News Minute. Retrieved 2 June 2020.
  29. ↑ "Don Palathara's 'Family' set for world premiere at Rotterdam Int'l Film Fest". The New Indian Express. 30 November 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
  30. ↑ "BAFTA Announces Its Breakthrough 2023 Cohort Across India, UK and USA for the First Time". Netflix. 29 November 2023. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  31. ↑ "'Don Palathara's 'Everything Is Cinema' to premiere at International Film Festival of Rotterdam". The Week. Retrieved 2 June 2021.
  32. ↑ "'Joyful Mystery'". IMDB. Retrieved 26 December 2022.
  33. ↑ "Don Palathara's 'Family' set for world premiere at Rotterdam Int'l Film Fest". The New Indian Express. 30 November 2022. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.