Tamil drama Pebbles has won the Tiger Award for best film at the 50th International Film Festival Rotterdam (IFFR). Directed by Vinothraj PS, the film is set in Tamil Nadu and follows an alcoholic who sets out to find his wife after she runs away with their young son. The film, originally titled Koozhangal in Tamil, has been produced by Nayanthara and Vignesh Shivan.
"The jury was blown away by a seemingly simple and humble film we fell in love with instantly. Creating a maximum impact with a minimum in means, the filmmaker reaches his goal with the same conviction and determination as his main characters. The result is a lesson in pure cinema, captivating us with its beauty and humour, in spite of its grim subject," the festival jury said in a statement.
Vinothraj reacted to the news on Twitter writing, "Feeling emotional!!!Pebbles won the Tiger Award 2021. Our hard work, patience and dream finally came true. Thank you all for your love and support."
Pascal Tagnati's coming of age film I Comete - A Corscan Summer, Norika Sefa's Looking for Venera and The Dog Who Wouldn't Be Quiet by Argentine director Ana Katz were among the other films to receive awards at the IFFR.
The film festival was forced to go online this year due to rising cases of coronavirus. However, a public festival to celebrate its 50th anniversary is scheduled to take place from 2-6 June.
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