Mokri’s ‘Black Rabbit, White Rabbit’ earns Kerala jury citation for technical excellence
Indian festival jurors awarded Iranian filmmaker Shahram Mokri’s ‘Black Rabbit, White Rabbit’ a special jury mention for technical excellence at the 30th International Film Festival of Kerala, which wrapped up in Thiruvananthapuram on December 19. The Tajikistan–United Arab Emirates co-production was cited for its “exploration” and “pursuit” of new cinematic forms, the jury said, recognizing Mokri’s formally rigorous approach as the film screened in the international competition during the December 12–19 event. The film’s international sales are handled by DreamLab Films, led by Nasrin Mirshab, according to ISNA. Three seemingly unrelated narratives gradually interlock, combining dark humor with flashes of magical realism. The screenplay was co-written by Mokri and Nasim Ahmadpour, with Negar Eskandarfard producing. Shot in Tajik and Persian with the support of Tajikfilm Studio, the project underscores Mokri’s reputation for technical bravura. Kerala’s top prize went to Japan’s ‘Two Seasons, Two Strangers’ by Sho Miyake, which also previously secured the Golden Leopard at Locarno. The NETPAC Award was claimed by ‘Cinema Island’ by Gözde Kural, a Turkey–Iran–Bulgaria–Romania co-production. Argentina’s ‘Before the Body’ won best director, India’s ‘Shadow Box’ took best first director alongside an acting citation, and India’s ‘If on a Winter’s Night’ received the FIPRESCI award. The Kerala citation follows a strong festival run for ‘Black Rabbit, White Rabbit’. At the Hainan International Film Festival in China, the film won the Golden Coconut for best film, with jury president Juliette Binoche and artistic director Marco Müller presenting the honor. The jury also singled it out in Hainan’s Emerging Talents section. Mokri, attending the Red Sea Film Festival at the time, sent a message read on his behalf, calling the recognition a “significant” milestone for the production. The film has screened at Busan and other Indian festivals and is slated for further showings in London and Chicago, before a China-wide tour. Tajikistan has selected the title as its official submission for the Academy Awards’ best international feature category.
