Biju Viswanath Explained

Biju Viswanath

Biju Viswanath is an Indian film director, director of photography, film editor and screenwriter. Across various genres, he has made numerous films in different languages, notably, English, Tamil, Malayalam, Irish, Swahili & Urdu.

He has also served as the jury member 50th National film Awards of India in 2003 and Kerala State Awards in 2003

Career

Viswanath's directorial debut A Voyage is based on the works of Indian writer M. T. Vasudevan Nair, which was produced by veteran Malayalam screenwriter John Paul Puthusery. The movie premiered in Busan International Film Festival, and won the gold medal for Best Short Film in India as well as an Honourable Mention in Zanzibar International Film Festival.

His Urdu film Parwaaz (The Flight) won Special Prize in Patras Film Festival.[1] Viswanath won two awards for Best Cinematography and Best Screenplay in New York Independent Film Festival for his feature film Marathon (2010).

His English feature film Déjàvu, which was produced by editor A. Sreekar Prasad, featuring various British actors, had its international premiere at Busan International Film Festival in 2001[2] and at the 54th Locarno International Film Festival.[3] Another feature film of his,Viola, won Golden palm in the Mexico International Film festival.[4]

Viswanath made three Irish films based on the works on the poet writer Celia de Fréine.[5]

His First American Feature film Marathon is based on the true story of American poet William Morris Meredith, Jr. Viswanath won two awards for Best Cinematography and Best Screenplay in New York Independent Film Festival for Marathon (2010).[1]

Viswanath's venture in Swahili is Shadow Tree, a film which was shot in Zanzibar, Tanzania. The film won the Special Award in Skepto Film Festival in Italy,[6]

His Indian feature film Orange Mittai Tamil was co-written and produced by Vijay Sethupathi.[7] Another Tamil drama film Chennai Palani Mars won two awards in USA: Grand jury prize in Los Angeles Motion Picture film festival[8] and Best narrative feature in Pinnacle film Awards.

Filmography

YearFilmLanguageclass=unsortableNotes
1995Peter ScottMalayalam
1998A Voyage (silent)
2000O. Henry StoriesMalayalam
2001DejavuEnglish[9]
2003Music Videos MTVHindi
2004Second ComingEnglish
2005Zodiac TalesEnglish
2006Sign of FourEnglish
2006Grand FestivalHindi
English
2007LorgIrish
2008 ParwaazUrdu
2008RianIrish
2009Oshizemi Japanese
2010Marathon English
2011ViolaEnglish
2012The NailEnglish
2013MafiosiItalian
2013Shadow TreeSwahili
2014Thief and Wind chimeTamil
2015Orange MittaiTamil
2017Living is EasyEnglish
2019Chennai Palani MarsTamil
2021Transcendental LayoverEnglish
2022How to make F**kd Up MoviesEnglish
2022Covid KarmaEnglish

Awards

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Awards of 8th International Panorama of Independent Filmakers . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100411090953/http://www.independent.gr/awards2006-2008 . 2010-04-11 . 2010-06-16.
  2. Web site: Busan International Film Festival . 2022-10-08 . Busan International Film Festival.
  3. Web site: 'Deja Vu' selected for Locarno festival . 2022-10-08 . zeenews.india.com.
  4. http://www.mexicofilmfestival.com/ Mexico International Film Festival and Awards
  5. Web site: Project . Happiness . 2008-03-23 . Biju Viswanath’s Irish Film based on Poems . 2022-10-08 . Bioscope . en.
  6. Web site: Shadow tree | Skepto International Film Festival .
  7. News: Rinku Gupta . 2014-02-11 . Vijay Sethupathi's Maiden Production gets International Director . . https://web.archive.org/web/20140305092118/http://www.newindianexpress.com/entertainment/tamil/Vijay-Sethupathis-Maiden-Production-gets-International-Director/2014/02/11/article2049319.ece . dead . 5 March 2014 . 2017-12-30.
  8. Web site: 23 July 2019 . Vijay Sethupathi's next movie wins International awards! – Tamil News . 2021-02-27 . IndiaGlitz.com.
  9. Web site: 2001-12-13 . Indiainfo: Malayalam: Movie Review -An Indian director's experiment in world cinema . https://web.archive.org/web/20011213224551/http://movies.indiainfo.com/malayalam/reviews/index.html . dead . 2001-12-13 . 2024-02-16 .