Payal Kapadia (filmmaker)

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Payal Kapadia
All We Imagine as Light Director Payal Kapadia at 2024 Cannes Film Festival.jpg
Payal Kapadia at 2024 Cannes Film Festival
Born (1986-01-04) 4 January 1986 (age 39)
Mumbai, India
Nationality Indian
Alma mater Film and Television Institute of India
Occupations
  • Film director
  • screenwriter
Years active2014–present

Payal Kapadia (born 4 January 1986) [1] is an Indian filmmaker. In 2017, her short film Afternoon Clouds was the only Indian film selected for the 70th Cannes Film Festival. [2] In 2021, she won the Golden Eye award for best documentary film at the 74th Cannes Film Festival for her debut feature A Night of Knowing Nothing . [3] [4] [5]

Contents

In 2024, she won the Grand Prix at the 77th Cannes Film Festival for her fiction feature debut All We Imagine as Light . [6] [7] It also earned her a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Director. [8]

Early life and education

Payal Kapadia was born in Mumbai on 4 January 1986 [1] [9] to painter and video artist Nalini Malani and psychoanalyst Shailesh Kapadia. [10] [ better source needed ]

Kapadia went to Rishi Valley School, a boarding school in Andhra Pradesh. Here she had her first exposure to avant-garde filmmakers like Ritwik Ghatak and Andrei Tarkovsky, as she was part of the school's film club. She studied at St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, and also earned a one-year master's degree from Sophia College for Women. [11]

She then went on to study film direction at the Film and Television Institute of India, [12] where she was selected on her second attempt in 2012. In between for five years she worked in Mumbai, in advertising and assisting a video artist. [11]

Career

In 2017, Kapadia's short film Afternoon Clouds was the only Indian film selected for the 70th Cannes Film Festival. [2]

In 2021, she won the Golden Eye award for best documentary film at the 74th Cannes Film Festival for her debut feature A Night of Knowing Nothing . [3] [4] [5]

In 2024, Kapadia won the Grand Prix at the 77th Cannes Film Festival for her fiction feature debut All We Imagine as Light . [6] [13] It also earned her nominations for the Golden Globe Award for Best Director and the BAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language. [8] [14]

In 2025, Kapadia was invited to serve as a jury member at the 78th Cannes Film Festival. [15] She was also invited to join the Writers Branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. [16]

Filmography

† – Indicates Documentary film
YearTitleCredited asNotes
DirectorWriterOther
2014Watermelon, Fish and Half GhostYesNoNoShort film
2015The Last Mango Before the Monsoon [17] YesYesEditor
2017Afternoon Clouds [18] YesYesNo
2018And What is the Summer Saying †YesYesNo
2021 A Night of Knowing Nothing †YesYesNo
2024 All We Imagine as Light YesYesNo

Accolades

AwardYearCategoryWorkResultRef.
Asian Film Awards 2025 Best Film All We Imagine as Light Won [19]
Best Director Nominated
Best Screenplay Nominated
Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2021 Best Film A Night of Knowing Nothing Nominated [20]
2024 All We Imagine as Light Nominated [21]
Best Director Nominated
Best Screenplay Nominated
Jury Grand Prize Won [22]
British Academy Film Awards 2025 Best Film Not in the English Language All We Imagine as Light Nominated [14]
British Independent Film Awards 2024 Best International Independent Film All We Imagine as Light Nominated [23]
Cahiers du Cinéma 2024 Annual Top 10 All We Imagine as Light 5th Place [24]
Camden International Film Festival 2021Cinematic Vision Award A Night of Knowing Nothing Won [25]
Cannes Film Festival 2021 Caméra d'Or A Night of Knowing Nothing Nominated [26]
L'Œil d'or Won [27]
2024 Palme d'Or All We Imagine as Light Nominated [28]
Grand Prix Won [29]
Prix des Cinémas Art et Essai – Special MentionWon [30]
Chicago Film Critics Association 2024 Milos Stehlik Award for Breakthrough Filmmaker All We Imagine as Light Nominated [31]
Chicago International Film Festival 2024 Silver Hugo – Jury Prize All We Imagine as Light Won [32]
Cinema Eye Honors 2023 Outstanding Nonfiction Feature A Night of Knowing Nothing Nominated [33]
[34]
Outstanding DirectionNominated
Outstanding DebutNominated
Directors Guild of America Awards 2025 Michael Apted Award for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in First-Time Theatrical Feature Film All We Imagine as Light Nominated [35]
Fribourg International Film Festival 2019Best International Short Film AwardAnd What Is the Summer Saying?Won [36]
Golden Globe Awards 2025 Best Director – Motion Picture All We Imagine as Light Nominated [37]
Gotham Awards 2024 Best Director All We Imagine as Light Nominated [38]
Best International Feature Won
Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival 2021Best Film Award A Night of Knowing Nothing Won [39]
Mill Valley Film Festival 2024Mind the Gap Award—Honored [40]
[41]
Mirage Film Festival 2022MIRAGE Award – Directing A Night of Knowing Nothing Won [42]
[43]
Montclair Film Festival 2024Fiction Feature Prize All We Imagine as Light Won [44]
[45]
National Society of Film Critics 2025 Best Director All We Imagine as Light Won [46]
[47]
Best Foreign Language Film Won
New York Film Critics Circle 2024 Best International Film All We Imagine as Light Won [48]
San Diego Asian Film Festival 2017Best International ShortAfternoon CloudsWon [49]
San Sebastián International Film Festival 2024RTVE-Another Look Award All We Imagine as Light Won [50]
[51]
Taiwan International Documentary Festival 2022Merit Prize A Night of Knowing Nothing Won [52]
Toronto International Film Festival 2021 Amplify Voices Award Won [53]
[54]
[55]
Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival 2023Robert and Frances Flaherty PrizeWon [56]
[57]

References

  1. 1 2 Janus Films [@janusfilms] (4 January 2025). "Happy Birthday to the luminous Payal Kapadia! Her Golden-Globe nominated ALL WE IMAGINE AS LIGHT has taken the awards season by storm" (Tweet). Retrieved 5 January 2025– via Twitter.
  2. 1 2 "Meet FTII student Payal Kapadia, whose film Afternoon Clouds, was selected for Cannes 2017". Firstpost . 10 June 2017. Archived from the original on 7 May 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Payal Kapadia wins best documentary award in Cannes". India Today . 18 July 2021. Archived from the original on 5 May 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  4. 1 2 "Cannes 2021: India's Payal Kapadia wins best documentary award". Hindustan Times . 18 July 2021. Archived from the original on 9 October 2023. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  5. 1 2 "Mumbai-based film-maker Payal Kapadia wins Best Documentary Award at Cannes". The Economic Times . 19 July 2021. ISSN   0013-0389. Archived from the original on 19 May 2024. Retrieved 13 September 2022.
  6. 1 2 "The 77th Festival de Cannes winners' list". Festival de Cannes. 25 May 2024. Archived from the original on 28 May 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  7. ↑ Mogul, Rhea (27 May 2024). "India celebrates historic Grand Prix win at the Cannes Film Festival". CNN . Archived from the original on 24 September 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  8. 1 2 "2025 Golden Globes nominations revealed: See the full list of nominees". Entertainment Weekly . 9 December 2024. Archived from the original on 9 December 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  9. ↑ "An interview with Payal Kapadia about "And What Is the Summer Saying"". Berlinale Shorts (in German). 12 February 2018. Retrieved 26 May 2024.
  10. ↑ Geeta Kapur (2000). When Was Modernism: Essays on Contemporary Cultural Practice in India (PDF). Delhi: Tulika. p. 57. ISBN   81-89487-24-8. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 August 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
  11. 1 2 Dore, Bhavya (7 June 2017). "Payal Kapadia: Over the Clouds". Open: The Magazine. Archived from the original on 17 February 2024. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  12. ↑ "Who Is Payal Kapadia? The Director Wins Best Documentary Award In Cannes". Archived from the original on 20 July 2021. Retrieved 20 July 2021.
  13. ↑ Mogul, Rhea (27 May 2024). "India celebrates historic Grand Prix win at the Cannes Film Festival". CNN . Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  14. 1 2 "BAFTAs 2025: the nominations in full". British Film Institute . 15 January 2025. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  15. ↑ "The Jury of the 78th Festival de Cannes". Festival de Cannes . 28 April 2025. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  16. ↑ "THE ACADEMY INVITES 534 TO MEMBERSHIP". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences . 26 June 2025. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  17. ↑ "The Last Mango Before the Monsoon (Short 2015) by Payal Kapadia". 22 June 2024., Archived on 2 September 2025
  18. ↑ "Afternoon clouds". MediaOne. 26 December 2022., Archived on 2 September 2025
  19. ↑ Brzeski, Patrick (16 March 2025). "Asian Film Awards: 'All We Imagine as Light' Wins Best Picture, Yoshida Daihachi Takes Best Director for 'Teki Cometh'". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  20. ↑ Slatter, Sean (13 October 2021). "Essie Davis, Leah Purcell nominated for Asia Pacific Screen Awards". IF Magazine . Archived from the original on 16 December 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  21. ↑ "17th ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED". Asia Pacific Screen Awards . 16 October 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  22. ↑ Frater, Patrick (30 November 2024). "'April' Takes Double Win at Asia Pacific Screen Awards". Variety . Retrieved 16 March 2025.
  23. ↑ Szalai, Georg (5 November 2024). "British Independent Film Awards: 'Kneecap,' 'Love Lies Bleeding' Lead Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  24. ↑ "TOP 10 – Rédaction 2024". Cahiers du Cinéma (in French). 29 November 2024. Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  25. ↑ Carey, Matthew (21 September 2021). "Camden International Film Festival Welcomes Doc Filmmakers Out Of Pandemic Hibernation, Awards Prizes". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on 6 February 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  26. ↑ "The actress Mélanie Thierry, President of the Camera d'or Jury". Festival de Cannes. 29 June 2021. Archived from the original on 15 December 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  27. ↑ "L'Œil d'or 2021 - "A night of knowing nothing" by Payal Kapadia". Scam : Société civile des auteurs multimédia (in French). Archived from the original on 15 December 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  28. ↑ Ntim, Zac (11 April 2024). "Cannes Film Festival Lineup Set: Competition Includes Coppola, Audiard, Cronenberg, Arnold, Lanthimos, Sorrentino & Abbasi's Trump Movie — Full List". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on 10 May 2024. Retrieved 9 May 2024.
  29. ↑ Richlin, Harrison (25 May 2024). "'Anora' Wins the Palme d'Or at Cannes (Complete Winners List)". Indiewire . Archived from the original on 11 June 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  30. ↑ "Prix des Cinémas Art et Essai 2024 : LES GRAINES DU FIGUIER SAUVAGE de Mohammad Rasoulof" [2024 art house cinema awards: SEEDS OF THE WILD FIG TREE by Mohammad Rasoulof]. Association Française des Cinémas d'Art et d'Essai (in French). Archived from the original on 5 June 2024. Retrieved 20 October 2024.
  31. ↑ Tallerico, Brian (10 December 2024). ""The Brutalist" Leads Chicago Film Critics Association Nominees". RogerEbert.com . Archived from the original on 11 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  32. ↑ Blauvelt, Christian (25 October 2024). "Chicago International Film Festival Awards Top Prizes to 'Vermiglio,' 'All We Imagine as Light'". IndieWire . Archived from the original on 13 November 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  33. ↑ Feinberg, Scott (10 November 2022). "Cinema Eye Honors: 'Fire of Love' and 'The Territory' Score Field-Leading Seven Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  34. ↑ "Cinema Eye Honors Announces Full Slate of Nominations for 16th Annual Nonfiction Film Awards". Cinema Eye Honors . 10 November 2022. Archived from the original on 15 December 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  35. ↑ "DGA Announces Nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Theatrical Feature Film for 2024". Directors Guild of America . 8 January 2025. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  36. ↑ "Women and Latin America win big at FIFF 2019 | Award Winners FIFF 2019". Festival International de Films de Fribourg. Archived from the original on 15 December 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  37. ↑ Barnard, Matthew (9 December 2024). "NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED FOR 82nd ANNUAL GOLDEN GLOBES®". Golden Globes. Archived from the original on 9 December 2024. Retrieved 9 December 2024.
  38. ↑ Zilko, Christian (2 December 2024). "'A Different Man' Wins Best Feature at Gotham Awards (Complete Winners List)". IndieWire . Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  39. ↑ "15ª Edição 2021". LEFFEST - Lisboa Film Festival. Archived from the original on 15 December 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  40. ↑ Johnson, G. Allen (11 September 2024). "Exclusive: 47th Mill Valley Film Festival". San Francisco Chronicle . Archived from the original on 18 November 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  41. ↑ "All We Imagine as Light". Mill Valley Film Festival . Archived from the original on 14 September 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  42. ↑ "The Mirage Film Festival wraps its second edition". Cineuropa . 20 October 2022. Archived from the original on 27 October 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  43. ↑ "MIRAGE 2022 | Award Winners". MIRAGE. Archived from the original on 15 December 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  44. ↑ Bergeson, Samantha (28 October 2024). "Montclair Film Festival Announces 2024 Winners: 'All We Imagine as Light' Takes Top Prize". IndieWire . Archived from the original on 7 November 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  45. ↑ "Announcing The 2024 Montclair Film Festival Award Winners!". Montclair Film . Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  46. ↑ McGovern, Joe (4 January 2025). "'Nickel Boys' Wins Best Film from National Society of Film Critics". TheWrap . Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  47. ↑ "'Nickel Boys' voted best picture of 2024". National Society of Film Critics . 4 January 2025. Retrieved 5 January 2025.
  48. ↑ Ford, Rebecca (3 December 2024). "'The Brutalist' Tops NYFCC Awards". Vanity Fair . Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 4 December 2024.
  49. ↑ "Announcing the 2017 SDAFF Award Winners". San Diego Asian Film Festival . Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  50. ↑ "Awards of the 72nd edition". San Sebastián International Film Festival . Archived from the original on 7 October 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  51. ↑ "Busan, Gent and London next up for IFFR-backed titles after San Sebastián". IFFR . 4 October 2024. Archived from the original on 15 December 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  52. ↑ "2022 TIDF Award-Winning List". Taiwan International Documentary Festival . 11 December 2023. Archived from the original on 15 December 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  53. ↑ Grobar, Matt (19 September 2021). "'Belfast' Claims TIFF People's Choice Award, As Jessica Chastain, Benedict Cumberbatch & Denis Villeneuve Nab Other Top Prizes — Complete Winners List". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on 30 September 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  54. ↑ Mullen, Pat (19 September 2021). "The Rescue Wins TIFF People's Choice Award for Documentary". POV Magazine. Archived from the original on 21 June 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  55. ↑ "A Night of Knowing Nothing". TIFF . Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  56. ↑ "Back up the Mountains: Yamagata 2023". International Documentary Association . 15 November 2023. Archived from the original on 8 August 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  57. ↑ "YIDFF 2023". Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival . Archived from the original on 7 October 2024. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
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